


Mischievous Lust

by Lucicelo



Category: Junjou Romantica
Genre: Action, Angels and Demons AU, Drama, Family Drama, Fantasy, Fighting, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Secrets, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-01
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-02-19 10:42:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 65,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2385479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucicelo/pseuds/Lucicelo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Demons and angels AU: A meeting between two different individuals changes many long standing views of each others way of life. Their forming friendship and affection catches the eyes of many who wish to do harm to them. As well as exposing many old secrets after centuries upon centuries of concealment. Angel!Nowaki Demon!Hiroki</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Being Under the Tree...

Hiroki dipped his hands into the creek and rubbed them together. The clear water of the river slowly turned crimson. Lingering for a moment until the current washed it away in a diluted stream. He inspected them, a good portion left his hands but the residue of centuries of slaughter was painted on his fingers.

He learned at a young age that he was never completely safe. His guard never went down, his instincts always located a wayward demon miles from him or even closer to him. It was all about asserting dominance and strength. The unfortunate weak ones would either die painfully or get jeered for all eternity for being an inadequate fighter.

Unless the demon defeated someone, they regained their broken honor and pride. Their honor got higher when it was the original demon that defeated them. In the end, nobody cared for technicalities; they desired an action packed rumble where one or both fighters died.

It got boring after torturing what seemed to be an endless supply of human souls. They were weak and powerless when alive. In death, they were placed in plain sight for the dark creatures' enjoyment. The souls were basically practice dummies for the young children, the older ones tested their skills on them before challenging another.

It was mostly the ones that managed surviving after so many years. No life was guaranteed for long periods of time.

Hiroki used one of his hands to push back his hair. His fingers bumped into the horns that protruded out of his cranium. His amber eyes were hidden under his eyelids, a black hue surrounded them which flared out in the corners. His light brown hair stuck up in layers which failed in hiding his elfin-like ears. He wore a black tank top and dark tight pants that clung to his body but was still comfortable. His boots flattened the grass underneath him while his tail curled over his right leg.

He cupped his hands together and gathered some water to drink. Hiroki opened his eyes as he stared at them. He inspected if he managed on cleaning the blood from his hands. No matter how many times he killed, he hated the smell lingering on him. He had enough of that down in hell; he lacked the desire for it on Earth.

Hiroki gulped down the water, and then he shook his hands to get rid of the excess. His blackened nails were cleaned enough so Hiroki was satisfied on their state.

Staring up at the sun's location, he guessed it was about mid-day.

At that time, humans would be wandering around the forest, foraging for food. Hiroki couldn't sense any of them around. Hiroki assumed that the surge of disease was the cause. A large shipment of souls had arrived, overcrowding the initial purgatory layer and the older souls went rueful because of it.

He was in dire need of a break away from all of the chaos. On Earth, the peace was short-lived at times but Hiroki knew that the forests were calmer than human inhabited areas. Legends surfaced constantly about evil spirits overtaking people so no one wandered around alone. The fear took over their logical sense, superstitions were fact whether it made no sense or not.

This astounded him, Hiroki had faced scarier beings and he had managed on disabling or killing them. He was a high end demon; he would be a laughingstock if he was injured by weaklings. His closest friends, well allies he had, were held up to high standard. Of course he worked harder to be as powerful as them; he sometimes surprised them on several occasions. He took pride in being viewed as ferocious demon, which was a compliment among their kind.

It was better to be well-known than to be labeled a loser.

Hiroki stood up from his crouching position and rubbed his hands on his shirt. One of his dark claw nails got caught in his shirt he growled and pulled it out. His nails were useful in battle yet they got stuck on one random piece of string.

A twig snapped out of nowhere, it broke the serene atmosphere. Hiroki's senses rose as his hands glowed a purple color and he turned around. He scouted the surrounding area, a bush on his right started shuffling. Gathering energy, he blasted the foliage and a terrified deer ran off in an opposite direction. He arched a brow; he managed on mistaking an animal for something dangerous.

He swore under his breath for his mistake. His senses were overloaded from keeping his guard up that he was mentally exhausted. Any large animal could sneak an attack at any moment from a long distance and he wouldn't have a head start. He had to pay closer attention and used his sharp hearing than lower his powers.

He was sleepy, he had to admit.

Hiroki rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand then pinched himself. Perked up by the pain, he scoured around the forest. His stomach growled, he was craving human souls. Endless amounts of human souls wandered the Earth; they were easy pickings, no trouble at all.

As of late, he began eating human food. Many of them were horrid and disgusting, one stuck out to him which was watermelon. He had traveled through the many doors into hell and found many undisturbed watermelon patches. Those tasted the sweetest and he sat for hours at a time eating them. The fruit was a great compliment during the summer months or even as he sat in his room at his house.

Hiroki followed the streams current toward a larger body of water. The vegetation grew more prominent near the river banks. They were mostly berries and Hiroki wanted to try some. He spat out any horrible human food. He had not found a food that could possibly kill a demon. Emphasis on yet.

He heard the usual bird chirping in random sections of the trees. None acted up due to his upcoming presence. He posed no threat and he wouldn't disrupt the calmness of the forest for cheap entertainment.

A distinctive noise reached his ears, it was humming.

So low that human hearing wouldn't have heard it from the distance. Underneath nature's song, the underlying tones were happiness and content. Hiroki's curiosity peaked. He pinpointed the location which was overhead toward the lake he was headed to. The humming went lower each passing second.

At the clearing, thought that the light was becoming too luminous for his liking. His eyes began watering but he kept going on forward.

* * *

Nowaki relaxed his hand as a bird perched itself on top of his palm. He smiled gently as he petted the bird's head with his right index finger. He lay back against the cherry blossom tree and made himself comfortable in between two thick roots from the tree. The flowers were in full bloom, the pink hues scattered in small individual flowers whose petals fell onto the ground when the wind hit them.

On the way down, they went through Nowaki's transparent halo. They traveled down and intertwined in his dark locks. He loved the aroma from the flowers that bloomed all around him as well as the crisp scent of the morning mist dissipating into thin air. The colors were scattered everywhere he stared and brought everything to life.

He crossed his legs over each other as his toes were tickled by the grass. The bird flew out of his hand when he pushed his hand up without force. It settled on a small branch that wasn't far from Nowaki.

Nowaki fixed his white toga low enough to cover him mid-thigh, it rode up when he sat down earlier. His sandal strings were tied together and lay right next to him in a small patch of yellow flowers. He removed the golden cuffs from his upper arm; they were pretty but slowed down the blood flow to his arm ever since he had another growth spurt. He kept growing taller and he needed new clothes whenever it happened.

He chose keeping the current ones he had, sure they were short but no one complained when they saw him. There was no embarrassment if he showed some skin; the body was a beautiful thing. There was nothing to be ashamed about.

Though it was preferable to be clothed, many angels walked around in the nude. Before clothing was made to cover the body, they wouldn't worry about being exposed to anyone. Fashions went in and out, one moment everyone was all covered up, the next, they would be wearing almost nothing.

Nowaki wore his toga long enough so that his loincloth wasn't shown. This was along the spring and summer months when the weather wasn't harsh. In winter and fall, he wore very long robes or togas that reached down to his feet.

His weapon was a sword he took for safety measures, his hands were healing tools but he could reverse the effects to damage someone.

Nowaki closed his cobalt blue eyes and hummed a happy song. The time was perfect for it and the young trainees were being entertained by newly appointed angel Misaki Takahashi. How Misaki treated the children was similar to how Nowaki cared for them. They loved the young man and Nowaki took the chance for his new found adventures down on Earth.

Misaki's older brother, Takahiro, had mentored the young one and found him suitable to become an angel. The higher superiors agreed with him and Nowaki smiled when Misaki was touching his pristine white wings with his fingers in excitement.

Every appointed angel went through the gleeful phase in the first few hours when they got their wings. Now they were able to fly beyond the clouds in the sky that they walked on.

Before the avian wings appeared, they had a miniature version that barely lifted them up from the ground. It stamped them as angel trainees and was under the wing of the mentors who picked them when they were younger.

Memories of how he attained his wings filled his mind. His mentors were the Kusama's, Yuki and Ichirou; they were the ones that took care of the newborn angels in the heaven's sector of Japan. Before Nowaki got his wings, he helped them up until the point when they told him that his abilities were meant for something more than guarding.

Their prediction came true when the heavenly glow surrounded Nowaki's hands and the elders accessed that he had healing abilities. He was one of the many angels that went down to Earth to heal the sick but they disguised themselves as healers or doctors. They were taught to limit their powers; they had to understand that not every human would survived the many diseases that circled around them.

It was their call who lived and died. The more they healed, the faster their juice would run out. Every angel was different in their limits and knew exceeding them had consequences if they were young enough when it happened.

Nowaki usually saved the lives of children, he would rather have them experience life since cutting it short so young was cruel to him. He even visited them a few times in their youth before they saw the inconsistencies on his age. Usually in the disguise of a wandering man depending on the style of clothing in the era the humans were in.

They were comfortable around him and he often got children that could see the halo over his head that he hid. Children saw many things that their parents brushed aside as their imagination. This ability faltered as they grew older.

He knew this happened all the time, they were taught that everything they thought was true was false. It couldn't be helped, eventually Nowaki went into wandering into new people to cure and the cycle of heart ache of the people growing up only to forget about him continued.

He frequently saw angels he knew from heaven guarding the humans they were assigned to. The interactions the human's made were partial on the guardian angel's preference. There were some angels that they didn't like so the humans would never talk to each other. But they were meant to lead them in the right direction, possessing them wasn't in the job description.

Nowaki heard of angels being lead off into darkness, the transformation was different for each one. One thing was common in all of them, the obvious lack of a halo and the wings turning dark grey or the feathers fell off. The stories never mentioned what was the reason yet he assumed it had to be the worst.

His humming was consistent in the tone. He switched to another one and the lyrics came into his mind. More birds flew to that tree and their natural chirping complimented the song as Nowaki swayed side by side.

The humming slowed down as Nowaki knew he was falling asleep. He didn't mind snoozing some of the day away, either he would wake up or maybe a cute forest animal would nudge him. His defenses went down as he tried getting sleep but trying to get to sleep wasn't simple. Nowaki's mind still thought of many things which kept him awake, he settled on hearing his surroundings.

* * *

Hiroki passed through the brush and made it to the hidden lake. Hiroki saw how untouched the nature was at this lake. That meant no humans had encountered this place, there was a mystifying aura that surrounded the area. It reached a good mile in each direction of the lake, which was large and vast, connected to a waterfall that came down the side of a mountain. There were many mountains that connected onto the one with the waterfall.

Blackberry bushes took over a good portion of the lake as Hiroki made a mental note that he would eat them later. Gather a handful before he left back home and made his judgment on them. There were no watermelon bundles from what he could tell.

He felt as if he could lounge around whenever he wanted and this was a distance away from one of hell's gates. No demon would find him here when it was assumed he was constantly blasting down souls and fighting others to be in such a peaceful place.

It was a guarded place besides his home that he could enjoy.

Squirrels ran past him into the trees, a mother deer and her foal drank the water from the lake, a lot of animals were scurrying away from him. A few braved it out and sniffed him before going on their own business. Hiroki didn't mind animals being in proximity of him through he'd rather be alone.

In his vision, he saw a giant tree that stood out from the rest of the trees behind it. It was close to the water but didn't seem like it would collapse because of the water softening the soil. The tree was firmly rooted to the ground, flower petals were in piles around the tree.

"Wow." Hiroki said as he walked closer to it and touched the bark of the tree. "I usually see thin blossom trees when I wander around here. It must be very old or something..." He looked up and the tree stretched out creating an umbrella effect.

The petals fell down onto him as he brushed them away, he stared in amazement. "Well I found my designated spot; anyone else that comes here cannot take my place."

His ears picked up light breathing coming from the other side of the tree. He wasn't about to let some animal take his place even if he made the decision not too long ago.

Hiroki stalked to the other side, ready to strike and saw Nowaki sleeping peacefully against the tree. He didn't expect a person to be in the furthest part of the forest for a nap, not that he hadn't seen this in his travels. Life's pressures sure got to a person and they needed their own space.

Hiroki crouched down and inspected Nowaki, thinking he was a human the whole time. That was until he saw the halo on top of his head and an outline of wings on his back. The pure white aura surrounded Nowaki's entire body, had Hiroki not investigated Nowaki right then he wouldn't have known.

His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at his face and scoffed. "This guy must either be brave to sleep outside of heaven or he is a moron."

Nowaki kept snoozing away as Hiroki poked him in the face. He knew his nails were sharp but he didn't out enough pressure for a cut. Hiroki rolled his eyes at the lack of response against him; he already concluded that this angel was not worth his time. He had to be weak not to have gotten the sense of darkness coming out of him.

Any certified angel had this ability.

Nowaki probably didn't have it and Hiroki knew that instigating a fight with this guy won't make him look good. No one would know but his pride would be hurt that the basis on his win was because his opponent was weak.

Hiroki stood up and a small bag in his pocket fell toward the ground. An amber colored jewel that was identical to the one on his weapon that he left at home was inside.

He gave Nowaki another stare down as he mumbled. "Well...you are sort of handsome…don't get killed angel boy..."

Hiroki walked away from the large tree, he maneuvered swiftly through the lake and into the pathway he first came from. He forgot about the lack of weight in his pocket as he ventured on forward.

Nowaki opened an eye and stared at his retreating form in amusement. He was awake the whole time and wasn't afraid that he would hurt him; his curiosity overruled anything else he might have felt. His mentors always said that a demon never got near an angel unless it was to kill one.

Hiroki didn't do that to him; in fact he complimented him and moved on. Though he was supposed to be asleep the whole time, Nowaki had a feeling that if he was awake Hiroki wouldn't have opened his mouth.

When Hiroki wasn't in sight Nowaki moved his limbs around and stretched them out.

Nowaki smiled as he touched the place on his cheek where Hiroki touched. "At least I found one nice demon in my existence...hopefully there are more like him." He sighed. "But I didn't get his name...how am I supposed to meet him again without knowing that?"

He pouted as he interlaced his fingers and placed them behind his head. "I want to know what the rest of him looks like...just saying his butt is adorable isn't a good thing is it? He looked all over me to make his compliment...I should stop talking, I'm over thinking again..."

His foot brushed against cloth as Nowaki picked it up with his foot. His toe went through the strings holding it closed, he pushed back his foot and launched it to his body. He caught it with his right hand and he loosened the strings. He peeked inside and saw an almost orange brown looking jewel inside.

Nowaki clenched it in his hands as he said in excitement. "This is demon-san's bag...I'll protect it until he comes back. Though it is irresponsible of him to carry something valuable in his pockets." He stared at it in wonder. "It is pretty...maybe he's planning to make a ring out of this, it's a little too big for that so maybe not. I'll come back tomorrow early so I can hand it to him face to face then I'll ask for his name."

TBC


	2. An interesting Encounter...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: They didn't know that their encounter under a giant cherry tree would rewrite both of their lives in the most prominent ways. Demon!Hiroki. Angel!Nowaki

Nowaki checked the side of his belt and made sure Hiroki's bag was in place. His wings flapped behind him as he stopped in place and tugged it. He had been fearful that he might have tied it too loose and fell down on his journey toward the lake. Losing the bag meant he had no conversation starter when he saw Hiroki again. That was  _if_ he managed on finding Hiroki at the lake at the same location where they first met.

He almost doubted Hiroki would even be there. For the past week he was sent down South of Japan where an influx of the disease was overtaking the local villages. When he arrived, the atmosphere was ghastly as he witnessed the fragile forms of the people lying about. There were many people immune to the disease that either carried in the sick or buried the deceased. Nowaki disguised himself, his healing powers poured into the medicine he made on the spot. Not all of them reacted well to his concoction but saw improvement in the younger generation that recovered. It was a slow an arduous process for them and at the end of the week Nowaki was called back.

The whole time, Nowaki had the bag on his person. Even when he was up in heaven he managed to keep it hidden from others. He was almost caught when a trainee noticed him staring inside of his robes. Nowaki dismissed her worried questions as he diverted them with stories of his adventures through his assignments. He answered many of their questions. There were some healing angels that chipped in their own experiences, their excitable stories instantly won over the trainees' attention.

Nowaki didn't mind, he rather enjoyed listening to other people when they talked. They were older in age and experience, Nowaki learned many things about his job from them. These were things that he wouldn't have known or figured out on his own. The wisdom he absorbed was put into his actions down on Earth. The way he handled the humans was much more efficient for their benefit.

He thought about their welfare more than he should, he was told to never get  _too_ close. Whether he extended their lives or not, their lives were shorter than his. They would be hurt in the end if familiarity was established.

Nowaki figured that Hiroki had to be somewhat powerful to have survived for so long. The matter that Hiroki behaved and talked was refreshing. The shielded paradise of heaven was dull and boring after such a long existence. This was why Nowaki started his expeditions that were non-work related. Running into Hiroki last week left a lasting impact on him. It wasn't because Hiroki was one of the first demons he had encountered but the difference in worlds interested him.

An angel had to be selfless and not have desired that distracted them from their purpose. Though they haven't spoken directly to each other since he was sleeping at the time, he was spellbound. He knew revealing this development to his superiors would be frowned upon. The fear implanted in the angels through their mentorship about demons would have him tailed around until the demon in question was exterminated. For such peaceful beings, Nowaki thought it was hypocritical to take such violent measures on anyone else.

Nowaki had seen judgment hearings, they were unbearable to watch. The punishments that dealt with the rule breakers scared him and pitied the ones to be judged. It was unfair yet he couldn't intervene no matter how much he wanted to. His mentors were the ones that explained that the ones who broke the rules deserved their punishment. He shouldn't feel sorry for them was what they said, Nowaki thought this was wrong. It was like turning his back on someone that might not have done something wrong.

A few cases he heard of were unfair judgments that had angels disgraced and stuck on Earth to live out their seclusion. He witnessed a few as their halos disappeared, their wings turned a dark grey and their pure auras dispersed.

He wanted to take a risk; Nowaki was already getting away with his non-scheduled visits to Earth. There were millions of angels flying around that he went under the radar and wasn't counted as suspicious. Unless he slipped and told someone then he was safe from persecution.

It would work for him or against him by going to the same place alone. That one day might have been Hiroki's time of civility and was now a different demon, the amicable demon would be gone. He would be facing a demon that wanted no more than to get rid of him. There were countless demons that hated angels and would love nothing more than to mount their wings on a wall.

Nowaki dismissed those ideas before they got any worse as he landed on the ground. He recognized his surroundings perfectly. The giant lake surrounded by so much vegetation, the small waterfall that produced small rainbows and the cherry blossom tree he slept on. He noticed a large knapsack near the tree; the contents were tossed around as if someone was looking for something.

He went closer as he identified a variety of everyday objects that exuded dark magic. In heaven, they were shown examples when the natural purifiers presented them. One touch from their hands and any dark object would be striped of the tainted magic.

The objects clashed harshly with the atmosphere of the lake. Any magical creature would have seen these and not touched them in fear of being possessed.

"Who do these things belong to? It's as if no one wanted these anymore...such a shame, I can tell they are in great shape." He bent down and picked up a knife that scorched his hand, he dropped it on the ground as he yelped. "Ouch!" A nasty burn formed on the side of his left hand, he gathered power on his right hand and waved it over the injury.

The bruise on his hand left little by little as Nowaki sighed. "I should have known... dark items harm me until they are purified. Or I took my time to purify them myself...it is going to take a while though." He stared at the dagger; parts of it were stained with blood. "Ah...it was used to kill someone...poor person." Nowaki placed both hands over it and released a burst of pure energy.

* * *

Hiroki was pissed off. More than pissed off, he was livid. He lost a jewel that he found in his youth and he was sure his father would kick his ass over this. It was required for every high royal demon and Satan's children to enter the hottest part of hell for their mating jewel. The whole point was passing by every horrid thing possible, fight the worst monsters imaginable and maybe even locate the bundles of the crystals.

The expedition was long and harsh for every demon. It would be a miracle if any one of them came back with minor injuries. Many lost limbs for the purpose of finding one; it was a pride factor in taking such a dangerous task. Coming back alive was a sign of luck and showed their strength. Women often took the task as well and were smarter than the muscle bound demons as they came back with handfuls of jewels.

Also it was even better if demons got them as children, in fact it was encouraged. Hiroki had to go through the inner caves when he looked 10 in human years. Akihiko accompanied him, his confidence bounced through his silent nature that was now discarded in his adult years. He was more confident and flaunted his power to the lower level demons, not even caring of the future results.

When Hiroki first found the crystals, it was clear without color but when he held them, the color transformed into his eye color. He embedded them into his weaponry and the last few were for mating purposes. Demons were told to get more for the reason that they might want to have a polyandrous relationship with multiple demons.

Hiroki had recently started carrying the biggest one he had, the best one to present to other demons that were in his same class. There had been thievery going around the high royal demon homes, the suspects were the low level demons that were envious of their power and status. It was proven when a few were caught trying to rob the Usami residence and Akihiko Usami killed them because it was him that was targeted.

The Usami's grew more feared since Hiroki knew that Haruhiko was much more ruthless than Akihiko. Adding Akihiko's uncaring attitude toward killing, then the other demons weren't taking a chance at angering anyone in the family.

His father explained to him that this was a gift that shouldn't be given unless he was absolutely sure of his feelings. Handing one over was like handing over the heart to the other person they selected. Hiroki was surprised that his father would take time to explain the meaning of the crystals. After his mother was mentioned, then he understood. Hiroki never met his mother but he saw that his father truly loved her but unspoken reasons broke them apart.

He was told she was kind, something he found odd for a demon. Everyone he had met were selfish and didn't bat an eye to be evil, it was inside of their programming to not be  _too_ kind. It was a sign of weakness to them.

His mind went to the angel that he met last week. Hiroki could tell that he was a nice person just by looking at him. Take off the angel wings and halo, Nowaki would still remain the same without the title of being an angel. He didn't know what Nowaki's position was; he crossed one thing from his list which was a guardian angel. Those stuck by their humans until they died, Nowaki was wandering around by himself.

Nowaki's tall stature was something he remembered, his long limbs seemed to have stretched for miles. His dark locks with hints of blue to it when the sun peeked through the flowers and made them pop. Another aspect of this angel Hiroki recalled was the serenity and beauty of his face as he slept; there was no tenseness as he let his guard completely down to the world. In other words this angel was utterly defenseless but the lake obscured him from view, unless someone walked through one of the many pathways and located him.

The image of Nowaki's face kept popping into his mind as he searched for his jewel. Hiroki's lips quirked into a small smile but he pinched himself for letting himself smile. Smiling wasn't allowed, a mischievous smirk was seen in better perspective to his tough persona.

He found the same pathway as before and wondered where exactly he could have lost it. Hiroki's first few days without it he looked through his home and anywhere he thought he dropped it. Then he searched around the pathways he had taken and then he remembered he was on Earth. The lake appeared in his mind, thinking that it fell out of his pocket and onto the grass. He would find it and go back into hell, not that much of a problem.

Hiroki pushed the branches of the trees out of the way as his eyes were searching the ground. All he found were the flowers from last week, untouched by the animals that went by there. The red pouch wouldn't appear as Hiroki got frustrated with himself. He hated losing anything, even the human literature was kept in a giant chest inside of his room.

He thought that he might have left the bag in his knapsack again as he set it on the ground. He crouched down and opened the bag while taking out everything from the inside. He threw everything around and didn't care where they landed as he searched every crevice of the bag. The thin line of his lips went down to a frown, if it wasn't in this bag, his house, the trail up to Earth and the lake then he truly lost it.

His hands formed into fists, his sharp nails dug into his hands. "Damn it...I should've listened to father and kept it in the safe with the others."

Hiroki stood up as he yelled out loud and the anger was released out of him. Some fire that burst out of his mouth but nothing went on fire. He stopped screaming as he kicked a random mirror that he tossed onto the ground from before and he fiddled with the sash holding his sword. A blacksmith made sure that his amber jewel was stuck into the handle of his blade. No matter how many battles he went into, it wouldn't loosen.

That was great news to him since he went through so much trouble to have it get lost. Like the biggest one that he carried and now felt so stupid for doing that.

"It doesn't matter...I have other ones in my safe back home." Hiroki muttered as he looked around the lake. "It's not the size that counts anyway...but even Akihiko was jealous that I had it. The one thing I had over him when I wasn't fighting other morons."

He sighed as he went over to a random blackberry bush and picked a few of them. It was better distracting himself from his failure for a moment than to put himself down. He watered them a little bit before popping them into his mouth; his teeth crunched them as he tasted the tart juice on his tongue. Hiroki found that the actually liked this taste, but it wasn't as great as the watermelon he tried a while back.

Grabbing a few more, he began eating them as he walked back to his things and he shivered. A pure energy was wandering to his direction and he threw the berries out of his hands. He hustled behind a tree, forgetting his possessions were out in the open.

From behind, Hiroki saw an angel walking to his things and checked them out. The person picked one his daggers up and yelled when he got burned. Hiroki chuckled softly at the idiot in front of him and then he saw the angel place out his hand. Pure energy went down as Hiroki saw the dark aura going away.

He readied himself as he ran toward the angel, ready for a fight.

* * *

Out of nowhere, Hiroki pounced from the shadows and knocked Nowaki out of the way. His hands glow a majestic purple hue as he wrestled Nowaki onto the ground. In the process, Nowaki was broken of his concentration and parts of his arms burned from the dark energy of Hiroki's hands. He gritted his teeth as he slammed his fists onto Hiroki's neck. This distracted him long enough that Nowaki kicked him away.

The demon landed on the grass but recovered his composure. A smirk graced his face; it had been a while since he had an angel give him such an unexpected battle. The excitement of defeating an angel fueled him hit but also the danger of being with pure energy drove his adrenaline. His eyes glowed purple as he targeted Nowaki in his sights, he couldn't make Nowaki out since he kept moving his face around.

Nowaki ran his hands over the burn marks; they went away easily as he kept his eyes on Hiroki. He saw Hiroki run to his direction as he stopped healing anymore skin and unsheathed his sword. His eyes couldn't make out the demon but a glowing hand slashed in front of him, part of his toga deteriorated in front of him.

He swung his sword and smirked when the demon jumped out of the way. His sword gave a heavenly glow as he ran toward his enemy. He only wanted to injure the demon; he didn't want to kill him by all means.

Hiroki blasted Nowaki with purple fire balls and saw that a few barely missed Nowaki by a few inches. The angel dodged them from really hitting him as patches of grass caught on fire. Nowaki used his wings to move around, he had not restricted them like he usually did and this was becoming his advantage. Sure his long limbs provided for faster movement but wings were much quicker.

Noticing that the angel was faster than expected, Hiroki unsheathed his own sword. He mentally shifted the purple glow to the blade of the sword, turning it purple. The amber jewel was located on the handle, it glimmered under the sun.

Nowaki saw the familiar tint in the jewel and actually stared at the demon. The demon he was looking for was running to him with intent to kill.

"W-Wait stop!" Nowaki exclaimed as he gripped the bag tied to his side.

"Fuck no." They clashed swords and Hiroki managed on disarming Nowaki, his sword landed a few feet away.

Nowaki blanched, he thought his idle suspicions were getting made into reality. Hiroki's instance of mercy by not hurting him was gone. He was disarmed and he couldn't use his purification option of his powers on this demon. When purification started, it was hard to stop in the middle, they finished the job. By his level of power, it would take him minutes to develop enough power and he had to disable Hiroki to buy time.

His eyes widened as Hiroki pinned him to the tree with his left hand on his chest. The pressure was so tremendous and his lungs were in pain. Hiroki slammed his sword right next to his neck, a small cut was formed. He stared down at Hiroki who in turn gawked up at him in shock; his eyes went back to their original state. He finally was realizing who this angel was.

Both of them stayed quiet as the pressure on Nowaki's chest was off and Hiroki's hand went back to his side. Seconds later, the demon yanked out the blade which was rooted into the tree bark and cut Nowaki's neck. Hiroki wiped the blade onto the grass before sheathing it.

Nowaki relaxed as he rubbed his neck and he felt the blood coating his skin. He put pressure on the shallow cut his healing fingers glided on his skin.

Hiroki turned around and walked away from Nowaki. Battle adrenaline still coursed through him and was amazed that Nowaki was actually pretty good. His assumption that the sleeping angel was a weakling was false.

He heard Nowaki shuffling cloth as Hiroki glanced over his shoulder. Nowaki was untying the strings from his belt; his whole reason of coming was to give it back. Nowaki held the bag in his hands.

Nowaki walked to Hiroki and deposited the pouch into his hands. He was still shaken from before but he managed on presenting a sincere smile.

He said. "I found this when I woke up the other day. I saw you leaving without it and I came back to return it." Hiroki stared at Nowaki's quivering hands, he was silent. "This jewel has to be really important. The fabric of this bag is soft yet there are fire resistant fibers sewn in."

"You're shaking." Hiroki bluntly stated.

Nowaki rose up his hands and they were indeed shivering.

Hiroki stared into Nowaki's eyes as he explained. "Look I didn't mean to attack you. I don't go into rampages like some lower class morons I know; I won't kill you like some barbarian. Consider yourself lucky that I am being... _nice_."

Nowaki chuckled at how understanding Hiroki was being, his trembling hands ceased. His Demon-san was a very interesting demon indeed.

Hiroki stared up at Nowaki's face in interest. Sure he remembered the undisturbed face but the laughter transformed those handsome features into a whole new level. Hiroki liked this smile. It wasn't pretentious or phony, it was natural. Natural kindness was what Hiroki felt out of Nowaki.

Nowaki just returned what he thought was nowhere to be found. He was ecstatic on the inside but he showed none of that outside. At least he didn't have to return to the catacombs of hell and get another decent sized one.

Hiroki's silence worried Nowaki as he asked. "Are you alright Demon-san?"

Hiroki growled. "My name isn't Demon-san."

"Then what is your name then Demon-san?"

The demon chose to pay no attention to what Nowaki just called him as he stated. "I'm Hiroki Kamijou." His neck was numb from staring up at Nowaki for so long, he asked. "Who are you?"

Nowaki answered politely as he bowed. "Nowaki Kusama."

A gust of wind broke more petals from the tree and they fell on both of them.

Nowaki couldn't help it, he laughed when he saw the annoyed expression on Hiroki's face. A pile of petals were gathered on top of his head, some of them got stuck through his hair.

"Shut it." Hiroki shook his head and the pink petals fell onto the ground. "This isn't funny." Nowaki kept on laughing despite the purple glow gathering in his eyes. "I should've let you stay afraid of me when I had the chance...wait; I can still do that right now."

Nowaki's laughter went down but he kept his smile. "I was shocked not scared Kamijou-san. There is a difference between the two." He pointed to the bag as he suggested. "So you don't lose your bag why don't you tie it to your pants? This way you can look down and there it is! I did this when I was keeping your bag for you; I never lost it on my way down."

Hiroki glared at him. "Who are you to tell me what to do angel boy?"

"I'm just telling this to you because it is a simple solution to never losing it when you are on the go. Putting it inside of a pocket isn't a good idea; anything falls out of those things."

"I don't care what you think. If it falls out again then I will know it fell because I am paying attention."

Nowaki shook his head in amusement. "You never know."

"Whatever," Nowaki opened his mouth to say something but refrained from doing it. Hiroki noticed this when he asked. "Did you want to say something?"

"Well...I was hoping...if you want," Nowaki blurted out. "We can be friends?"

Hiroki was shocked at this bold declaration as Nowaki waited on his answer. The demon slowly recovered as he hit Nowaki on the shoulder. "Are you hearing what you are saying? Me? Your friend?"

Nowaki nodded his head as he ignored the stinging on his shoulder. He knew the demon was trying to get rid of him but it wouldn't work on him.

"Yes. I want to know more about you. When two people meet it goes in two directions, they never talk to each other again or engage in more conversations. I want to talk with you in any possible chance I can." His head tilted up at the tree, he gazed at the petals' beauty. "Who we are shouldn't restrict us from getting to know each other right?"

"You have a point there." Nowaki smiled as Hiroki continued. "Since we only know each other here, then we will meet here from now on. It's not like you can visit me in my home and I go into yours...that is if you still want to."

Nowaki was elated he was going to see Hiroki again. "Sure! We can meet here under this tree but with our unpredictable schedules..."

"It doesn't matter...we have centuries to live out," Hiroki told Nowaki as he tied the strings of his bag onto the hoops of his pants. He mumbled out. "Are you alright...I didn't hurt you too bad?"

"I healed myself pretty quickly Kamijou-san don't you worry. I'm a healing angel by trade so I don't get hurt as much."

Hiroki glanced up at Nowaki. "I should have known. I shouldn't have worried." He mumbled the last part as he went to pick up his possessions from the ground.

Nowaki caught on what he said as he followed behind. "You were worried? Thank you for worrying about me Kamijou-san."

Hiroki ignored the praises that came out of Nowaki as he tossed his things inside of his bag. He should have denied the request for friendship when he had the chance.

TBC


	3. An Angel's Questions..

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: They didn't know that their encounter under a giant cherry tree would rewrite both of their lives in the most prominent ways. Demon!Hiroki. Angel!Nowaki

Nowaki sat on one of the many thick branches of the cherry blossom tree with his wings exposed to the elements. He wore a longer tunic for the occasion when the cold weather spontaneously came with spring. He had seen some rain clouds going to the direction of where the lake was and was afraid the rain might stop Hiroki from coming. Despite his schedule contrasting with Hiroki's schedule, they have managed to make it to their meetings whether the weather was terrible or not.

His hands gripped the wood of the tree, this way he wouldn't fall backwards from losing his balance or the wind hitting him out of nowhere. The branch he selected supported his weight and tall stature; he knew it wouldn't crack if he moved in an odd direction. From all the flying he did on a regular basis, he wasn't really afraid of falling. His wings came out when he was in danger and he could float down to safety.

He acquired a view that stretched out beyond the lake's perimeter; many creatures that were invisible to the human eye wandered about the forest. He had seen countless mythical creatures in different sections of Japan, although he had not seen some with negative energy as of late. Most stayed in small packs, scattered around in their respective spots where they felt the most comfortable.

A herd of unicorns wandered into a green pasture and their attention was solely on eating the grass. The biggest one in the group bobbed its head up and checked the area for anything out of the ordinary. When the unicorn felt no danger headed for the group, the beast resumed consuming the grass in peace. The youngest unicorns of the herd wandered around but didn't stray away too far from their mothers. The slightest bit of noise had them huddling with the rest of the unicorns.

Although animals didn't posses magical abilities, their heightened senses made them more sensitive than the average human. Nowaki had witnessed countless animals leaving particular areas or acting irrationally when disaster struck in many places in Japan from his place on a floating cloud. And if the humans placed aside their superstitions and pride and paid close attention to the behavioral patterns of the animals or pets they owned, they had a chance to survive.

With the casualties mounting up in numbers, angels were given a limit in their interventions in preventing deaths. Something a number of angels objected too, as well as Nowaki who wanted to save the people he encountered in his missions. The elders always seemed to know when they overused what power they had and fearing their wrath the angels never went beyond in their assignments.

Going against their elders was unheard of and those that did were reprimanded with the harshest examples. As a result, the other angels were scared to not step out of the box or to show any sort of rebellion.

Nowaki picked up a familiar dark energy and he knew who this particular person was without a doubt. He jumped off the branch with a smile on his face, his wings helped his impact when he landed on the grass. His sword slid off of his back and clattered onto the ground due to his lackluster tightening of his restraints. Nowaki bent down and picked it up then propped it against the tree, he wouldn't even need it but he only took it as a safety measure. Also, leaving heaven without it would have many suspicious on where he would be going without a form of protection with him.

He gazed over his shoulder when he heard the crunching of the grass and the bird flying away from the neighboring trees. Hiroki walked through a new gust of petals the wind gently hit and like their previous encounters, the petals landed on his hair. Captivated by such a vision of loveliness, Nowaki turned around and stared at Hiroki directly.

Nowaki kept his commentary to himself when Hiroki got closer and closer to him. He settled with giving Hiroki a stunning smile which stopped the demon in his tracks for a moment before he resumed his walk. Hiroki was  _not_  used to having someone smiling so genuinely at him when he first appeared from somewhere. He was used to fear or even a hateful expression thrown his way.

The angel was so thrilled and excited that Hiroki made it to another one of their meetings. This was their fourth time meeting at the lake after two weeks despite his hectic schedule getting in the way. Although he was flying under the radar and breaking the rules in associating with a demon, he was still very careful in the presence of other angels. He didn't want to admit he didn't trust them, he knew anything out of the ordinary would be reported.

These meetings with Hiroki had him see a different side to this demon. The stories he was told by his superiors were torn apart as he talked with Hiroki, who didn't attack anything in sight or suck out the souls of innocent victims. Hiroki was menacing at first glance but after he got to know him better, Hiroki was a very eloquent being who enjoyed a good piece of literature to read. He had complete control of his inner demon which for most lower level demons would fluctuate out of control at any given moment.

Nowaki noticed how Hiroki's eyes lit up when he brought a watermelon for them to eat. He had to hold in a chuckle when he saw Hiroki trying to hide that he was excited over eating the fruit. Throughout his existence, Nowaki had never heard of demons eating human food but Hiroki ate the watermelon with fervor so this contradicted another one of the stories he was told.

He was happily finding out new things about his friend every single time they met.

Hiroki ceased walking and he looked up at Nowaki, he scowled when he commented. "You are too damn tall for your own good."

"Why hello to you too Hiro-san how are you this fine afternoon?" Nowaki asked as he led Hiroki to the giant cherry blossom tree so they were shielded from the sun. "I'm sure your walk here was pleasant."

Hiroki received that nickname on their last meeting which he found utterly ridiculous. No matter how many times he addressed this issue to Nowaki, the angel simply grinned at him. He said he couldn't go back to saying 'Kamijou-san', Hiro-san just sounded natural to him. After a while, the nickname stuck and Hiroki found he didn't mind it as much.

Hiroki threw his knapsack on the grass as he groaned. "I'm alright…it's just that passing purgatory is becoming a chore. The souls who want to be reincarnated are becoming real agitated at the long wait when the new souls come in." He blinked a few times as he hid a yawn from Nowaki by stretching up his arms above his head. "What about you?"

Nowaki sat on the grass and Hiroki copied the same action as Nowaki answered him. "The days have been slow since there has been no sickness going around Japan." He reached out his hand and brushed some of the cherry blossoms from Hiroki's hair. "These petals always seem to get stuck on you Hiro-san."

Hiroki made a disgruntled face as he huffed. "Don't remind me, I cannot have such things in my hair when I return home."

Nowaki chuckled when he suggested. "I always make sure you don't have them on you before you leave, so don't worry about having one escaping my eyes."

"You better, it will take a lot for me to explain to anyone why I have flower petals in my hair." Hiroki picked one that got stuck in his bangs. "It seems like this damn tree just loves putting these on me, petals never seem to fall on you."

Nowaki removed more petals from Hiroki's hair when he commented. "They do land on my head but I guess your layers of hair just gather them up."

Hiroki rolled his eyes as he plucked another one from his hair. "Whatever, at least it only happens here and not anywhere else I have been to in my travels."

Nowaki said in amusement as he took out the last petal out of Hiroki's hair. "Well there must be something about this lake which has these petals falling on you but I really don't sense anything wrong in here." He knew he was going to take out more of these petals when Hiroki had to leave the lake later on in the day.

Hiroki scrunched up his eyebrows as he walked toward the tree. "Whatever. If it is a minor thing anyway."

Hiroki settled in between the roots of the tree, he held a leather-bound book in his left hand while his right turned another page. The weather was very warm and there were no clouds in the sky, peacefulness seemed to fill the air. It was as if the lake was separated from the rest of the world, a secret location that only he and Nowaki shared.

The atmosphere calmed the fire inside of his being and he had no desire to cause any sort of destruction. Even before he found this lake he never had a primal urge to destroy like most demons down in hell. All he ever heard from the other demons was a poignant urge to kill on a daily basis but he could go days maybe even weeks without killing anything. This was something he kept to himself, demons would go after him if they thought he left his guard down because of his lack of wanting to kill.

Not that anything stopped any of the demons who challenged him to begin with. Each time he grew stronger, more demons came after him, which grew tiring at times since he would need to be as powerful as his father so no one would dare challenge him again. He knew this wouldn't happen for a very long time.

Nowaki sat right beside Hiroki and read a different book that Hiroki told him might interest him. Hiroki was right on point, he was really interested in the contents as he grew engrossed in the words on the pages. Once in a while, his blue eyes stared at Hiroki from the corner of his eyes and noticed how Hiroki stuck his tongue out slightly when he was concentrating. He found this quirk so endearing to him but he didn't dare comment on it.

In an attempt to not stare at Hiroki for too long, he missed Hiroki's staring right back at him. The demon was able to study Nowaki at a close distance. His opinion on Nowaki not being too bad looking didn't change but Nowaki had some spunk in him after interacting with him. He thought Nowaki would talk to him in fear of saying anything odd but Nowaki grew so comfortable around his presence.

He turned a page as he let out a deep sigh, he must be growing soft if he allowed himself to talk to an angel. Yet, Nowaki never shoved any of the angel beliefs down his throat or seemed disturbed when he mentioned anything about a battle he had. Battles and fights were a normal occurrence in Hell so he always had a story to tell if Nowaki was interested to hear them.

Nowaki was indeed curious about Hiroki's exciting life, he sat by listening with an eager face as Hiroki described everything. His days up in heaven were getting rather dull to him, he wouldn't dare do anything out of the ordinary but hearing about it was the next best thing. Although, he was sure his visits with Hiroki were a method of rebellion that he really enjoyed.

Nowaki relaxed against the tree as he told Hiroki. "I love spending time with you Hiro-san."

Hiroki turned to Nowaki and nodded his head to agree with him. His lips quirked into a small smile that Nowaki caught before it disappeared, this made the angel immensely happy. He had seen Hiroki smirking at him but he never once gave him a genuine smile.

He hoped he would see it more often.

* * *

Nowaki worked up the courage when he started his usual list of questions he thought of before he met Hiroki. He put the book in his hands away into Hiroki's satchel which caught the demon's attention. Nowaki's eyes held so many questions and Hiroki knew it was time for Nowaki to inquire about his life or anything in general. Those questions didn't bother him since Nowaki didn't ask him anything  _too_  personal that would anger him. The questions Nowaki asked him were interesting but some were common questions like favorite color or food.

Hiroki started asking some things about Nowaki after the first time Nowaki asked him questions. It made him feel weird that Nowaki was the only one thinking of things to ask and he was the only one answering. As a result, he found out that Nowaki was one of the angels who raised the young angels until the elders determined where they were placed in. He was surprised to find out that Nowaki was almost placed in the army because of his stature until the elders saw the healing abilities in his hands.

The demon was glad that Nowaki was a healer. He had no hesitation in getting rid of angel soldiers because they were so underhanded yet hid their actions behind the guise of the better good. They were so easy to spot from his cocky attitude and their aura was so distinguishable that Hiroki easily avoided them when he didn't feel like getting into an altercation.

His amber eyes looked at Nowaki as he put a piece of cloth inside of the page as a makeshift bookmark. He then placed his book inside of his bag and made sure it was properly closed. His hand hit the bag which contained the amber gem he had acquired as a child. It was tied in the loops of his pants, by doing this it wouldn't get lost as easily.

Hiroki always caught Nowaki staring at his small bag with some smugness on his face but failed in hiding it from the demon. Nowaki was the one who suggested he had his bag tied on his pants so it wouldn't be misplaced like when they first met. As much as Hiroki wanted to hide the fact that he took the angel's advice seriously, he didn't want to lose his special treasure again.

He would let Nowaki have his little proud moment just this once.

Nowaki sat up straighter as he smoothed down his long tunic when he moved his legs to a more comfortable position. "Hiro-san, I just wanted to know...what is your favorite food?"

Hiroki thought for a moment until he answered. "It depends, I like to eat watermelon more than anything I have ever tried in my whole existence."

"Watermelon?" Nowaki inquired in surprised, out of everything he thought was the demon's favorite food, watermelon was not one of them. "I didn't take you as a guy who loved fruit so much."

Hiroki huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Well excuse me for not being predictable. I eat things other than souls you know."

Nowaki put his hands up as he smiled in good nature. "I'm just a little surprised Hiro-san that's all."

Hiroki rolled his eyes. "Yeah right, you were expecting me to say I ate the meat of poor innocent animals while they were still gasping for air."

"No!" Nowaki chuckled as he slapped Hiroki on the back. "That wasn't what I was expecting at all, you are so funny Hiro-san."

Hiroki moved from his spot on the root onto the soft grass with a frown when he heard that Nowaki was still laughing. "It is not that funny!" He hit Nowaki on the shoulder which only made the angel laugh harder. "Honestly, you must be going mad after spending time with me."

Nowaki shook his head as his laugh lessened and he told Hiroki. "I am not going crazy Hiro-san, if I was then you wouldn't have stayed here and spent time with me. I know you enjoy my company."

Hiroki shrugged his shoulders. "Well I have proper conversations with you if that is what you mean. The only other person I talk to is my father and he is on the other side of the world at the moment."

"What's your father like?" Nowaki asked as he placed his full attention on Hiroki.

The demon coughed into his hand as he tried not to sound excited about talking about his father. "Well...he is a high ranking general in the demon army, he is respected but he is also feared by many demons in Hell. He looks a lot like me but his horns are more prominent, his aura is certainly intimidating when he's in battle and his hair is black."

Nowaki nodded his head as he chuckled. "I'm guessing you got your battling skills from him correct?"

Hiroki smirked as he said. "He's the one who taught me everything I know. I owe a lot to him since most demons don't pass on their wisdom to their children. Although, some of my powers are different from his which I only bring out when I really need them." There was something Hiroki wanted to ask Nowaki since he knew of his non-battle style abilities. "So...who was your mentor in your healing powers?"

Nowaki smiled big at the question as he started to explain. "Well I had many mentors, I was pretty much passed to many different angels who taught me something new. Although only a few of them actually helped me in controlling it since too much healing could backfire on someone. Though my main mentors were my 'parents' who presented me to the elders and then I got my wings." Nowaki pointed to his sword. "All healers have a sword in case of emergencies and they need to fight. Very rarely do we use them."

Hiroki remembered the day when he practically tackled Nowaki to the ground, now that was a surprise since he dubbed Nowaki as a weakling. Nowaki sure proved him wrong in so many ways. His amber eyes observed Nowaki's large frame and he knew the angel could overpower anyone if he was angry enough, he was sure of it.

Those muscles Nowaki had were obviously not for show. He must have worked hard to keep his body in shape but then again, all angels Hiroki had ever seen were in perfect shape.

His amber eyes connected with cobalt eyes as Nowaki genuinely smiled at him.

Hiroki averted his eyes after a few seconds when he felt somewhat weird when he looked at Nowaki directly in the eyes. The only eye contact he ever had with anyone was simply for intimidation purposes. He was still getting used to Nowaki's carefree eyes which held no malice or ill will toward him.

He looked back at Nowaki who had scooted closer to him and their legs touched each other. "It's odd..." He muttered.

"What's odd?"

Hiroki hit one of Nowaki's sandal covered feet with his boot. "You are one of the first angels that I don't hate."

"Really?" Nowaki hit Hiroki's boot back with a small smile on his face. "It brings me so much relief to know that Hiro-san." It was good to know that he somehow managed to change a demon's perspective on angels, even if it was just one.

"If I hated you then I wouldn't be wasting my time coming here to this lake." Hiroki said. "I would have ditched you when I had the chance."

"That is true..." Nowaki leaned against the tree as he watched a pair of deer drinking water from the other side of the lake.

Hiroki looked up at the sky and noticed that the sun was setting in the horizon. The once blue sky was transforming into a mixture of orange and reds which he knew would transition into dark hues of color. He didn't realize that the hours passed by so quickly, although any length of time seemed small compared to a mortal.

He stood up from the ground and he patted away some dirt from his pants. "I have to get going, I think father returns today from his trip." Hiroki said. "Well I'm assuming he's returning today. The rumors of him returning are spreading through the low level demons."

After hearing about the man who influenced Hiroki so much in his life, Nowaki could tell Hiroki was excited to see his father after such a long time. "I understand Hiro-san, should we keep asking some more questions while going down the path?"

Hiroki nodded his head as he grabbed his knapsack and hooked it over his shoulder. "If that's what you want, we are going to go our separate ways at the end of the path right?"

"Like always." Nowaki told Hiroki as he tied his sword on his body and got up from the grass.

Nowaki dutifully followed Hiroki away from the lake as a gust of wind hit the tree gently. The petals danced through the wind as a pink petal managed to get entangled in Hiroki's hair while the rest landed onto the grassy floor. Hiroki was oblivious as he listened to Nowaki explain how he spent most of his days in Heaven.

"I'm usually an early riser to begin with anyway."

Hiroki made a face at the prospect of waking up early. "Ugh that sounds like torture."

"Once you get used to it, it is not all that bad." Nowaki pointed out.

"Of course you would think that, you seem like the type that's annoyingly happy in the morning." Hiroki said with a grimace.

"Believe it or not, I am not always smiling when I first wake up." Nowaki told Hiroki which made the demon turn to look at him with an arched brow. "No really! A lot of angels don't come near me for a while."

"I don't believe you at all."

Nowaki pouted as he put his hands behind his back. "Well you'll see me in the mornings eventually."

Hiroki poked Nowaki's arm when he said. "If we are both grumpy in the morning then we might kill each other, you do know that right?"

"Well then I will make sure I am not too grumpy if we ever see each other here at the lake when the sun rises."

"Like you can control what you feel in the morning." Hiroki scoffed. "Anyway, I thought you said you are always watching when you are home Nowaki."

Nowaki scratched the back of his head. "Well...it's mostly the little ones in training who always gang up on me. I think it's because I am one of the tallest and I am usually the one who plays with them." Nowaki told Hiroki as the demon tried hard to laugh when he envisioned a bunch of angels tackling a giant like Nowaki onto the clouds in the sky. "Just the other day I barely took one step outside of my home and the trainees sneaked up on me. Usually they go after Takahashi-san but I think he was sent off somewhere for the month."

"Takahashi?" Now that was a new name Hiroki had never heard of before from Nowaki.

"He's one of the new trainees who recently got his wings, he had a lot of mentors like I did but his main mentor was his older 'brother'." Nowaki explained. "I remembered he was very overprotective of Takahashi-san that I was so surprised when I heard the elders gave him his wings. I was happy for him but I saw his 'brother' crying his eyes out that his little 'brother' was growing up so fast."

Hiroki rolled his eyes while he made sure his bag wouldn't fall off his shoulder. "He sounds like a ridiculous angel."

"Which one of the two are you talking about?"

"Both, I'm sure Takahashi was crying along with his brother as well." Nowaki nodded his head with an amused smile on his face. "I knew it."

Hiroki and Nowaki froze on their spot when they both simultaneously felt a demonic aura up ahead. Hiroki put his finger to his lips as Nowaki nodded his head while they crept up closer to the edge of the path Hiroki took to the lake. They heard the crunching of the grass when the demon got closer and closer to their location.

The aura was weak at best but they had to keep their guard up.

If they knew anything after being alive for centuries, it was to always access the situation from a fair distance. This way, they would know whether to attack or not to attack.

* * *

Nowaki pulled Hiroki into his arms as they hid from a demon behind a tree. Nowaki and Hiroki slowed down their breathing and lowered their auras as low as they could while trying to keep still. Hiroki recognized this demon as a low level demon who boasted great power yet he was defeated by Haruhiko Usami centuries ago. He was on a long list of demons who were shamed by the Usami family and were eager to injure any of their associates in order to get closer to defeating them. This was why Hiroki kept his distance from the Usami family for the last century, he was in no hurry to be slaughtered but he kept contact with Akihiko once in a while.

It didn't help that Akihiko always seemed to locate him when he didn't want him to and even Haruhiko started taking an interest in talking to him. Hiroki didn't know whether it was from them asserting their power to every single demon in hell or it was because he wasn't kissing their ass like everyone else. He had his pride to hold onto so even if he used to be close to Akihiko, he wasn't about to run to him when he needed help fighting another demon. He had his father for help and asking him was rare in itself.

Nowaki pressed Hiroki onto the tree slightly as he kept his eyes on the demon in front of him. It was as if the demon didn't notice their presence at all. The demon kept walking on ahead without any sign that he sensed them or even picked up their scent. He kept walking along with what seemed to be the remaining bit of a soul peeking out of his mouth. He noticed the demon's eyes didn't glow like Hiroki's when he mistook him for an enemy and he didn't have a powerful weapon on him either.

From the hierarchy that Hiroki had explained to him a while ago, this was one of the lowest level demons but it was a tad higher than the demons with full animal features. These demons had no control over their instincts and would be more prone to attack anything if they were provoked. He saw that Hiroki wasn't at all worried by this demon so he relaxed slightly. If this friend found no big threat in this demon then he would be fine with it.

Hiroki took his eyes off the demon for a moment when he noticed a barrier in front of him. He reached out his hand and lightly pressed it with his fingertips. It didn't dissipate like he expected. He then realized that this barrier was the thing separating this lake from any other being with powers from entering inside. He had wondered why he and Nowaki were the only ones at the lake at any given time, with the exception of the animals who wandered inside to get a drink of the crisp water.

Why were he and Nowaki the only ones allowed inside?

Maybe there was a maximum limit on how many beings could enter inside of the lake at one time. But that didn't answer why they didn't see or feel the barrier to begin with when they first met each other at the lake. It only appeared to them slightly when that demon walked past it and he was sure it couldn't sense.

Hiroki's eyes narrowed as he observed the demon who gulped the soul and licked its lips. The demon disappeared into a denser part of the forest and Hiroki lightly pushed Nowaki away from his body. He motioned to Nowaki that the demon was already too far to listen to anything they said as Nowaki sighed in relief.

Nowaki broke the silence with a smile. "The demon is really gone now right?"

Hiroki nodded his head. "Yes." Hiroki reached out his hand and he felt the barrier underneath his hand again, he told Nowaki. "There's a barrier surrounding this lake you know."

Nowaki got close to Hiroki and he saw the energy surging in front of his eyes. "How? I don't understand..I should have felt it."

"Don't worry I didn't feel shit to begin with until that demon came along." Hiroki frowned as he grabbed Nowaki's hand and placed it right on the barrier. "Do you feel it?"

Nowaki told him. "I feel it," He closed his eyes with a smile on his face. "It feels so warm and safe, like a bubble to shield everything from the outside from coming inside."

"I think that's the point." Hiroki said as he kept his hand wrapped around Nowaki's wrist. "Someone put this barrier as a safe haven since only so few can come inside of it." He looked at Nowaki. "It doesn't seem to be a bad thing so we must be safe right?"

Nowaki opened his eyes, his smile was still on his face as he looked at Hiroki. "Of course it's safe, if it wasn't then we wouldn't be able to be so open here now would we?"

"...You have a point there." Hiroki muttered as he loosened his grip on Nowaki's wrist. "It doesn't answer why  _we_  are allowed in here."

"At least we have a lake all to ourselves, well except for all of those animals who come through it. That's something positive out of all of this right?" Nowaki said with enthusiasm lacing his voice.

"I don't know...maybe whoever put up the barrier might come back and kick us out."

Nowaki shrugged his shoulders. "If that was the case then we wouldn't have been able to go inside of the lake in the first place." He patted Hiroki's shoulder and the demon arched a brow at the new forward attitude Nowaki was displaying. "I can walk you home if you want."

"You want to walk me home?" Hiroki inquired as he arched a brow. "I have gone home by myself without a problem since we have met and you have never asked me that before. Also what makes you think you can get through the gates?"

"No no, I mean leaving you by the gate." Nowaki gave him a charming smile to disguise how worried he was for Hiroki.

When the demon actually appeared in front of his eyes that was when the reality set it. Hiroki was always in danger whenever he returned home and he couldn't cross the gates to help him even if he wanted to. "I just felt like walking you home for today, there's nothing wrong with that right?"

Hiroki was about to reject his offer but it was as Nowaki said, there wasn't anything wrong with Nowaki walking him to the gates. "Alright...if you really want to. Just make sure if any demons come around that you run off."

Nowaki smiled. "Of course! Don't you worry."

TBC

 


	4. Leading Him Back...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: They didn't know that their encounter under a giant cherry tree would rewrite both of their lives in the most prominent ways. Demon!Hiroki. Angel!Nowaki

Hiroki peeked over his shoulder and watched Nowaki following after him through the forest. He had almost denied Nowaki's request to follow him back home but Nowaki promised to keep his distance so they wouldn't seem suspicious. Also, he was sure Nowaki was worried that the low level demon might pick a fight with him if he wasn't around to shield him. The manner how Nowaki observed his surroundings and would stop when Hiroki's eyes landed on him, the angel was too obvious for his own good. It was a kind gesture but he could handle himself without any outside help.

Nowaki smiled brightly as he watched Hiroki getting closer and closer to the entrance of his home. Well he assumed they were close when he felt a wave of demonic aura coming toward him that it was almost suffocating. He boosted his power slightly so the aura wouldn't affect him so much and he made sure Hiroki didn't notice that he was raising his power too much.

He bit the inside of his cheek when he saw Hiroki's tail moving around. The red tail curled around Hiroki's waist before loosening up and curling around his thigh. Nowaki couldn't help but find it amusing how Hiroki's tail was showing the demon's moods more than the usual nonchalant face he often had when they were together. Nowaki knew that it would take a lot more than a few visits together to have the demon feel he could  _truly_ trust him.

Nowaki rubbed his hands together while he licked his chapped lips. It was too bad Hiroki had to go back home but he knew they would see each other again. The times they met were random at best but Nowaki always thought of coming to the lake when he had time away from heaven. With the decline of healing angels needed and only a few were sent down to Earth, Nowaki had more time to enjoy himself. Though he was sure the elders didn't check on every single angel, he didn't want to give any hints on what he was doing with his free time.

This was a secret he shared with Hiroki. The place where they could let down their guard and let everything that was bothering them in their separate lives whither away into nothing. He really enjoyed sharing his company with Hiroki and he was sure Hiroki felt the same way despite not voicing it out loud. Nowaki could tell by his actions when they talked and his body language when they were close to each other.

He really enjoyed his moments with his friend that his spirit could almost soar when he was near him.

It was just an amazing feeling.

Hiroki stopped a few feet away from the mouth of the cave when he saw a being with skeleton wings leading a spirit inside of the darkness. The guardian of death turned, stared at Hiroki for a few moments before nodding his head in greeting. Hiroki returned the same gesture as the guardian of death ventured inside, leaving both Nowaki and Hiroki outside.

Nowaki tilted his head when he asked in confusion. "I thought guardians of death stayed clear from demons Hiro-san." Souls were a demon's main source of sustenance so he assumed that guardians of death would stay clear of demons or they wouldn't be able to full fill their job.

Hiroki shrugged his shoulders when he turned to Nowaki. "Well I sort of get along with them since I don't interfere with their job. I don't try taking the souls they are trying to take to purgatory since I don't see the point of doing it. Even though they seem weak because all they ever do is lead dead human spirits to purgatory it doesn't mean they are weak. Trust me, I have seen a few of them show their true power, no one wants to mess with the messengers of death when they are riled up."

Nowaki was awed at that this new information, everyone in heaven who commented on guardians of death saw them as nothing more than half-lings in a sense. Some were even a creation between a demon and an angel or even a human who died with great regret or were scouted out by fellow messengers of death to become one of them.

He was taught that they were a low class of angel. Not even an angel by the high standards of the elders who ruled over everyone in Japan's sector and even the longest living angels agree with this view. There might have been a few angels who thought otherwise but their minds would change due to coercion or the need for acceptance. Yet, he knew some who kept their opinions to themselves. A gang of angels raining on another while yelling blasphemy in their face, wasn't something to look forward to.

Hiroki caught onto Nowaki's stare as he inquired. "Did you really not know guardians of death were not weak?" Nowaki shook his head as Hiroki sighed. "What the hell do they teach you up in heaven anyway?"

Nowaki scratched the back of his head. "From knowing this...not as much as I would have liked to learn."

"That's for certain." Hiroki huffed as he checked inside of the cave and saw no one coming out. "Well I guess this is my cue to go. I'll see you later Nowaki."

Nowaki took a chance as he pulled Hiroki into a loose hug and he told him. "I wish you a safe journey Hiro-san."

Hiroki's face went slightly pink at Nowaki's bold move, he didn't think they were this close to initiate hugs. They only knew each other for a little bit and he was surprised he didn't strike Nowaki the moment their bodies touched. Then he remembered how close they were sitting at the lake that maybe they were getting closer in their friendship to be this close.

It was certainly a different experience to Hiroki, he only ever got held by his father through his whole life. Those embraces were shared behind closed doors where they could let their guards down in each other's arms. Demons always looked for a form of weakness to attack someone at their lowest point but his father taught him well enough to at least mask any feelings he had when he stepped outside of their home.

He always admired his father's form when he was in battle. He was real fortunate enough to have watched him fight from a distance as a child and assisted him on countless occasions as an adult. The arms which always seemed so strong in his eyes, gently encased him in a soft embrace. Those hands which pierced through demons without a problem, ran through his hair when he was upset or when his father was clearly amused at his expense.

His pure aura didn't suffocate him like he expected. In fact, it felt like a warm blanket, just like the sunlight which illuminated the Earth. Hiroki closed his eyes for a few moments, basking in the comfort Nowaki provided, his arms almost wrapped around Nowaki's back until he stopped himself. Hiroki's eyes opened in alarm and remembered he was standing right in front of Hell's many open gates.

Hiroki gulped as he awkwardly patted Nowaki's back. "Yeah...you too..."

Nowaki let go of Hiroki and took a few steps back. "I'll see you next time? Will you be here tomorrow or when can you come back?"

Hiroki thought about it as he answered. "I might be back tomorrow if nothing holds me back but I'm not so sure."

Nowaki nodded his head as he watched Hiroki walk through the gates with his knapsack over his shoulder. He kept his eyes on Hiroki until the demon was cloaked by the darkness inside of the cave. When he was sure nothing was out of the ordinary, he retracted his wings from his body and flew up in the sky toward heaven.

* * *

Akihiko's glowing red eyes followed Hiroki as he walked through one of the many entrances into Hell. When Hiroki walked past his hidden location, Akihiko stealthily followed after him. He had not spend a whole lot of time with his  _friend_  but he noticed Hiroki's new found interest in venturing into Earth. At first, he thought Hiroki was only entering Earth just to torture or scare the humans on the surface. They used to do this a lot as children but the humans would categorize them as spirit children and Akihiko found pleasure in scaring them close to death.

As they grew older, he noticed Hiroki was distancing himself from him and his visits to his home became scarce. Hiroki mostly stuck to his father's side most of the time he saw him, something Akihiko couldn't understand when he couldn't stand his own father. His father had multiple wives where he conceived countless children, most ended up low on power levels and Akihiko never regarded them as his siblings. He barely tolerated Haruhiko but since they were so close in power, they had to unite against those who would usurp their positions.

While his father abandoned them to their own devices, only locating them when it suited his fancy, his mother wasn't any better. She had multiple lovers herself and neglected him when he was just a child. He was lucky Tanaka always looked out for him or he would have died a long time ago. Akihiko assumed his reasons were to keep in his father's good graces not out of generosity. This was why he didn't trust Tanaka or anyone else other than Hiroki.

His eyes followed Hiroki's every move as he kept his distance. The screams and the noises in Hell could only block his presence for so long, he needed to know why Hiroki had stopped visiting him. Life was boring without him, he needed someone to tease and to get angry at his comments. Haruhiko only angered him and the many bastard children of his father were always picking fights with him to prove their worth. All of the ones who asked him to fight were all instantly killed by his hand, gathering the wrath of his father's wives.

Not that he cared about his family and keeping up appearances was becoming a chore to him. He might have to go back onto Earth since Hell was not as exciting as it was when he was younger. Though, he wasn't all that desperate to venture up to Earth when it meant he would be without all the luxuries he has had since he was born. There was also nothing on Earth which could sway him to return other than Takahiro.

He noticed Takahiro had taken to staying up in heaven and hadn't come back down to Earth the last time he was up there. He was certain Takahiro stayed clear of the gates of hell so he wouldn't manage to bump into him if he went up there. Akihiko was sure it was a result of the kiss they shared, well the kiss he planted on Takahiro's lips when he was saying goodbye. He never regretted kissing him but the horror stricken expression on Takahiro's face told him everything.

Takahiro was absolutely disgusted by the kiss they shared.

He touched his lips as his eyes narrowed. He never found what he did despicable, if anything, angels were brainwashed to the point that overall happiness was not possible. At the time, Takahiro was a newly winged angel who was more sincere than any angel he had the displeasure of encountering on Earth. He was also incredibly dense and couldn't fight, well from what Akihiko saw most of the time he was with him.

Akihiko wanted to protect him. To have him as his mate but he knew he would have to live on Earth to make their union possible. He was ready to abandon everything for him when he realized he was actually in love with him but it all turned sour. Absolutely sour.

He noticed that Hiroki was out of sight as he cursed himself and went to look for him. Akihiko easily found him without a problem and saw him sneaking in some morsels in his mouth. He always found it odd that Hiroki wasn't too keen on eating souls, if anything he was always finding new things to eat. Never satisfied on what he picked up and moved onto something else, this always had Akihiko wondering if Hiroki was not a full demon. Hiroki was brought along with Soshi Kamijou on the day of his birth and the general never revealed who his son's mother was or if she was even living.

This topic of Hiroki not being a full demon was immediately dismissed when they saw Hiroki was becoming powerful like his father. Akihiko never stopped wondering about him, there were so many little things that he caught on that most demons would never do. He would only bring it up when he found anything really off about Hiroki but in the meantime, he would remain silent.

Akihiko stopped as he clenched his fists and turned to stare into the orange eyes of Haruhiko Usami. "What do you want?" He growled in anger.

Haruhiko wasn't intimidated when he pushed up his spectacles. "Father needs to see you."

Akihiko rolled his eyes. "I'm sure it is about the death his other brat who challenged me again."

"Exactly."

"He should train his bastards to not challenge their betters."

Haruhiko remained where he stood when he said. "Get moving. He will be getting impatient."

Akihiko gave Hiroki one last look as he walked alongside Haruhiko. He kept a fair distance away from him, his hand was wrapped around his sword and he kept his eyes on Haruhiko. Haruhiko glared at him as he lightly touched his ax which was tied on his back. Their trip back to the Usami manor was a tense one and they couldn't get away from each other fast enough.

Hiroki sprinted across a broken down bridge and landed onto the other side without a problem. He wrecked it when he was a child and it was completely by accident. Though he was surprised he had managed to blow something up with his own power and he felt so proud of himself. He checked his bag and found that it was still tied to his pants and his sword was well secure on his back.

He located a trail of blood on the trail he usually took home and Hiroki tried not to smile, his father was actually back home. The rumors were not just over exaggerated gossip which had no clear evidence. When he turned his head to the right, he saw countless demons coming from the horizon and over the mountains. The high ranking demons had some scratches on them but nothing too serious like the other demons who were barely able to trek down the path. Some were entering their homes, others were being held by their wives or their husbands.

This meant everything was a complete success and their wouldn't be a new mission for a while. Which brought complete relief to those that worried about them in Japan's sector.

Hiroki turned around to his home as he went toward the front door. He had to go around to the other side since the old front door was molded shut by his father and he made a new one which was more secure than ever. Hiroki gulped as he opened the front door and he sensed his father's incredible energy bursting through in waves.

Instead of bringing him fear, it brought him comfort. After all, he grew up with that power constantly surrounding him. That power made him feel safer in his father's arms than anywhere else in Hell when he was a child.

* * *

Hiroki walked through his home with confidence, knowing full well his father was in the other room. His father had recently left on an excursion which had him away for a few years which to demons was nothing but a blink of an eye. He admitted to himself that he missed his only living relative, the others were either killed or had not talked to his father in centuries. His father raised him since he was a newborn and their bond was strong, considering how many demons abandoned their children after a certain amount of time. Most of the demons he knew were left to fend for themselves after their powers grew slightly stronger.

He considered himself lucky his father didn't toss him out of his home when he was a boy. At one point, he thought it was because his father was a high ranking general in the demon army and it would look bad if he abandoned his only son. These thoughts were pushed aside when he saw how his father protected him when he was younger and helped him improve his powers without complaining. The public viewed his father as a cold hearted demon, the type most revered in the depths of Hell but to Hiroki he was simply his father.

His father talked about his mother whenever he asked him questions and did he ask so many questions about her. He was surprised his father had not gotten angry at him for asking for her so many times. Then again, he was careful to only ask about her when they were behind closed doors. Whenever his father talked about her, his eyes went soft, which took Hiroki some time to get used to. He had seen his father slaughter so many demons since he was a child but the mention of his mother made him smile at times.

Whoever his mother was, she must have been an incredible demon to have brought this whole other level to his father. His father only offered him her name and a description which Hiroki always kept an eye and ear for this description. Her name was Fuyumi, which had Hiroki thinking that she was born in the wintertime which was why she got this name. Her eyes were a vibrant green color, she had long curly brown hair and when she sang, it was one of the most beautiful voices his father had heard in his life.

It was too bad he didn't have a portrait to compare the image of his mother. Hiroki passed by the main entrance and he saw the large portrait which featured him standing beside his heavily suited father. His father's amber eyes showed his wisdom of having lived for so long and also he caught onto the promising threat of obliteration if he was wronged in any way. Hiroki frowned when he saw his image, he had grown up since this portrait, there needed to be a new one made.

Hiroki turned to the direction of the living room and opened the door, he saw his father placing his sword against the wall. The smell of blood reached his nose and Hiroki knew this was not his father's blood but of the other demons that he defeated. He noticed his father's hair had grown longer than the last time he saw him and there were some new scars on his exposed arms as well.

Soshi turned around slightly as he wiped the blood from his face. "I see you have returned to greet me back home Hiroki."

Hiroki nodded his head. "Yes I have." He closed the door behind him as he let his guard down. He walked on forward and didn't flinch when his father pulled him into a light embrace. "Welcome home father." He wrapped his arms around him, he ignored the prominent smell of blood as he focused on the natural scent of his father.

Soshi nodded his head as he patted Hiroki's head and his eyebrows scrunched when he saw something in Hiroki's hair. He picked out a small pink petal and his eyes widened when he saw it. Memories resurfaced of his time on Earth and he knew exactly where his son had gone to without a thought. He incinerated it in between his fingers and the scent of blood overpowered the burning of the petal in his fingers.

Hiroki noticed his father was distracted by something when he asked him. "Is something wrong father?"

Soshi gazed down at his son as he shook his head. "Nothing at all." Some relief came to him from knowing what location his son was inhabiting, he used to visit the same place when he a young demon. The blossoms were proof that Hiroki was in that lake, at least Hiroki would have some days where he could relax. "Have you gotten into any trouble during my absence?"

If he was anyone else, Hiroki would have snapped at his father for insinuating that he was incapable of keeping himself out of trouble. Though his father only asked this whenever he was gone for long periods of time. It was mostly to check up on his only son and to make sure no one tried to hurt his son in his absence.

Hiroki didn't have any real problems to speak of, maybe a few wayward demons but they were taken cared of quickly "No. None at all." He answered as he saw his father observing him for any indication that he was lying.

"Good." Soshi said and he noticed that Hiroki's clothing had blood on it as a result of their embrace. "We will need to change out of our clothing Hiroki. I know how much you hate the strong smell of blood."

Hiroki frowned when he told his father. "Well you get tired of it after smelling it for such a long time." He took off his shirt from his body and his nose scrunched when he smelled his shirt. He folded it over his arm when he inquired. "How was your mission father?"

Soshi untied the last bit of his armor, hitting the floor with a loud bang when he answered. "It was fine. I handled it on my own without Usami's assistance since he didn't even come along with us. I heard he was too busy with his many wives to bother coming along with the rest of the generals." Soshi pulled his back into a ponytail when he commented. "Usami's son has been asking about you Hiroki."

Hiroki turned to his father in shock. "Akihiko? Why would he? We haven't talked in almost a century."

Soshi patted Hiroki's shoulder as he stared into his eyes. "I have no idea but I would advise you to be careful son. You know how ruthless the Usami clan can be to get anything they desire."

Hiroki nodded his head as he assured his father. "Trust me father, Akihiko is more interested in this Takahiro he has written stories about since we were younger. I'm sure he is still thinking about him after all this time."

The older demon arched a brow. "Takahiro?"

"I have no idea who he is but I managed to catch his name a few times when I found the papers in Akihiko's room. I also caught his father taunting him about his unrequited love and how it would never happen. I'm pretty sure he is some magical being since a human would have died a long time ago." Soshi was still skeptical as he ruffled Hiroki's hair, even if Hiroki was full grown, he was still his son and ruffling his hair was a habit he couldn't break. Hiroki stared up at Soshi as he inquired. "Father?"

Soshi stopped this action as he looked down at Hiroki's pants when he pointed out. "You tie your bag now?"

"Well...yeah..I almost lost this on Earth so I started tying it so I don't loose it." Hiroki responded, readying himself for the lecture he always got when it came to losing anything important.

"Hmm..." Soshi tugged the strings and saw they wouldn't loosen, when he said. "How odd that I have asked you to do this since you were a child and you have never done it." Hiroki stiffened on the spot. "I wonder if  _someone_  has convinced you do this." Hiroki damned his father for being so observant. "Thank  _whoever_ convinced you son, you are a stubborn one after all."

Soshi turned to leave but not before he saw his son staring at him in shock, he stood there, staring at him with a blank expression on his face. He saw Hiroki growing more nervous as he stared at him, deciding to spare his son, he smirked as he left the room.

Hiroki wasn't so sure if his father already knew what he was up to but he had nothing to hide. Although, he didn't know his father would react if he found out he was talking to an angel and they were actually becoming close friends.

He could only hope his father was forgiving if he ever found out.

TBC

 

 


	5. Returning to Heaven...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: They didn't know that their encounter under a giant cherry tree would rewrite both of their lives in the most prominent ways. Demon!Hiroki. Angel!Nowaki

Nowaki stood by the cave as he watched Hiroki walking inside without any fear inside of his body. Hiroki's body language spoke lengths of his confidence and he didn't hesitate in his stride. The demon stopped briefly as he looked over his shoulder and connected eyes with him before he continued on walking inside of the caves. He disappeared a few seconds later into the darkness and Nowaki let out a deep sigh as he held onto the handle which placed his blade on his back. He didn't know he was holding his breath for too long as he watched his friend leave his sight.

The angel always wondered what Hell actually looked like, no one in heaven knew the answer unless they were brave enough to ask one of the older angels. Some explained how it was pure fire, the unbearable darkness and evil would suffocate them which was why they should never go inside. If that was the case, then Hiroki would have burns all over his body from the fire of Hell. The fire would have burned out any sense of thought from Hiroki's mind and he would have gone around without self control.

Hiroki lacked these burns and he was nonchalant of everything that had anything to do with Hell. Then again, Hiroki was born and raised beyond those gates so he must have gotten used to what happened in his home. From what Hiroki told him, the fires were only when they wandered deeper into the Earth, it wasn't directly after the gates. Hiroki gave him the strangest look when he asked him about the fires which surrounded the demons in Hell, this earned him a punch in the arm and a complete explanation of the lies he was taught.

Nowaki smiled fondly at the memory as he walked away from the caves and shivered when a death guardian passed him. Despite Hiroki assuring them they were harmless unless provoked, he still had his guard up whenever he saw one of them. This death guardian had glowing green orbs and he saw a peek of long blonde hair which was hidden in the black hood. The spirits were all children this time around, he frowned, their life was cut short before it began, it wasn't really fair for them.

He turned his attention to the sky and saw a group of angels flying up to heaven, his eyes widened as he hurried through the forest. The thick trees obscured him from view and he was relieved when he noticed they didn't look down on Earth or even noticed he was there. Most angels never stared back onto Earth unless they were descending on their prime location.

He gripped the strap of his sword, all of this sneaking around should have made him feel guilty. Everything he was ever taught meant what he had done for weeks was forbidden. He had done his overall objective but he always made sure to sneak away to meet Hiroki and then gradually used his powers on the town he was assigned to. He knew it was foolish thought to expect that no one would figure out he was off. Recalling the last times he was back in heaven, he never lingered or played with the trainees until the sun went down.

Nowaki bit his lip, he didn't know how long this could go on. He cared about Hiroki, the man brought in a much needed edge to his monotone existence. These meetings brought him joy and made him more eager to go onto Earth. Keeping in his usual feelings on his usual routine, he never knew befriending someone who didn't censor himself would benefit him.

It brought in a new perspective, where he saw many things in his upbringing which were either lies or suspiciously held some secret behind it.

He hugged himself as he walked. There was no regret in helping people, this was something he was satisfied doing but the restrictions in his ability held him back. Instances of healing whole villages, making humans live out their whole lives without cutting it short. Yet, he was never there when the death guardians came around. It was as if they were invisible and only appeared when they saw convenient.

This was probably why he never saw one before Hiroki pointed them out to him. Hiroki had no such distaste for them, in fact, he made a point to tell him they were more powerful than they seemed.

Maybe, Hiroki fought one in his lifetime to gather such information.

He let out a burst of power and his wings appeared from his back. Rolling his shoulders forward, he felt his bones pop in some places and he knew he was ready to fly. Half the time he didn't stretch his limbs since his wings did all of the work but when he walked, sometimes his legs went stiff from lack of usage.

Nowaki took a running start out of the forest and flew up into the sky. The wind hit his face and his toga fluttered in the breeze. He smiled big, there was one thing he loved about going back to Heaven was when he flew back up onto the clouds. These precious moments of freedom was something he never got when he set foot back home, they were only discharged out when they were given another assignment.

He tried not to get upset, with his track record, he was always sent back down after a few days in Heaven. The elders never saw or noticed anything wrong with him, he was safe for the moment.

"I..I hate it there." Nowaki whispered to himself, many would have considered Heaven to represent the ultimate paradise but to him it was a prison.

He navigated to the side as a flock of birds flew toward his direction. Flying higher, he spotted one of the golden gates which appeared to an angel when they returned home from their mission. He landed on the clouds, which solidified when his feet touched them. When he pushed open the gates, the guards who stood beside it, grinned when their eyes landed on him. They patted Nowaki's shoulders, telling him their greetings while congratulating him on returning back unscathed.

There were many angels who returned with injuries cast upon them by dark beings. Nowaki knew the healers in his sector were annoyed at the constant injuries due to lack of safety on the angel's part. Though, Nowaki knew these injuries was mostly to teach the newly trained to always remain on guard if they didn't want such pain inflicted on them. The veterans knew how to remain uninjured on their missions, which was an indication on how well they did their job.

Nowaki had a sincere smile to return to them but when he saw the angels in the soldier category, he did his best not to let his smile slip from his face. He didn't have any particular feelings for these soldiers but he knew they attacked any being who wasn't in the light category without any reason.

He believed he would see Hiroki again, he was the person he looked forward to seeing back on Earth.

* * *

"Misaki!" Takahiro exclaimed in joy as he ran toward his younger 'brother' and pulled him into a deep embrace. "Why didn't you send word that you were coming back today? I would have met you a whole lot sooner! I have missed you so much! How did your mission go? Is there any advice you would like me to give you?"

Misaki smiled big, his arms instantly wrapped around Takahiro's back as the older angel began kissing his cheeks. Normally, he would have denied his brother's affections but this was one of his first descents onto Earth and he came back without a scratch on him. He was warned before he was given his wings how sometimes demons would attack angels without provocation and he was extra careful when he was wandering around the villages he was assigned to.

He was relieved that he found no demons when he was in disguise. In his teachings, he was told how demons could smell angels from a distance so he always looked over his shoulder and didn't sleep as an extra precaution to his own safety. Also, he was defending the village he was looking after as an 'apprentice doctor' with an older looking man who was cast an incantation to believe he was his student. It was a pretty simple illusion he learned so he could blend in without a problem with the humans.

Misaki grinned when Takahiro patted his head with pride and saw the happiest expression on his face. His brother's opinion mattered the world to him so seeing the older man ecstatic on his return and he was sure his brother would ask about his adventures after they finished hugging each other. Not many mentors remained close to their trainees but Takahiro stayed with him and always gave him solid advice when he needed it.

There was one thing that bugged Misaki about Takahiro. He never understood why his brother never went down onto Earth, his brother was a very capable angel who knew everything there was to be an great angel. He followed all the rules and the elders held him in high regard with the other revered angels who were famous all throughout heaven.

Yet, he never flew down from the clouds and always spent time training other angels. It was unheard of for an angel to remain in the clouds and no questions rose it. Misaki never gathered the courage to ask his brother about it since he was a mere trainee, now he was a full fledged angel so he was asking in his new found role as a full angel.

It didn't hurt to ask him right?

"Why won't you go on Earth, nii-chan?" Misaki innocently asked his older brother with a smile on his face.

Takahiro stiffened on the spot, his eyes widened when he processed the question Misaki asked him. He averted his eyes from Misaki as he tried not to say anything before he thought it all through. A cold chill went down his spine at the memories, he didn't want to answer Misaki but he swore to remain honest with his brother.

After countless centuries, he tried hard to forget about his adventures on Earth. The one time he let his guard down and he committed the most offensive sin for an angel to make. His fingers lightly touched his lips as he felt utter disgust, he still felt those demon's lips after so many centuries apart. That demon betrayed his trust and made him into this confused mess.

He never understood why the demon kissed him. For all he knew, the demon was playing a trick on him or knew an angel could  _never_ engage in any illicit activities when their sole duty was their main goal in their existence. He was born during a very strict time, which transcended into him never wanting to break any rules the elders gave to them during their training. He held these rules to his heart and he never talked to demons, he ignored them until they dared to attack him.

He made the mistake in talking to one instead of fighting him.

Turning back to Misaki, his curious green eyes gazed up at him. All he wanted to do was warn him about the dangers of the world, the demons who had no morals in taking everything which made them angels. Their purity and their soul.

He needed to prevent any possibility that this could happen to Misaki. The young angel had a chance to live out his existence without the stain he experienced as a new full angel. This soured his life until the present time, he fought so hard to forget about it and he managed to hide this secret away from anyone other than the demon who planted his lips on his own.

The elders had no idea about what happened. Some of the more experienced angels were suspicious on his decision to remain on the clouds and help train the angels who would go down onto Earth. He had more than enough experience to give detailed explanations but he knew the times passed, what he saw on Earth might have changed and their customs were certainly different.

"Nii-chan?"

Takahiro hid his distress behind a smile as he patted Misaki on the shoulder. "I just felt like my purpose was here, going down to Earth is for the young ones." He desperately hoped Misaki would let it go and ask something else.

Misaki tilted his head. "But Miyagi-san goes down there and he is beyond older than you are."

Takahiro thought up of a quick excuse. "He is a youth at heart, Misaki, he might be older than me but he knows how to gain the truth of humans without a problem." How he hated lying to Misaki but it needed to be done.

"If you say so..." Misaki was left confused as his brother moved the conversation onto something else.

The young angel was left wondering why his brother wouldn't answer his question. He noticed Takahiro's demeanor changed and he lead the conversation onto other things. There was an urge to ask him again but the petrified look on Takahiro's face made him reconsider.

Whatever happened to his brother in the past wasn't worth making him this upset.

* * *

Days later, Nowaki sat on one of the many clouds that overlooked Earth. The clouds traveled in many directions or they settled in a section where clouds were always present. He wasn't sent on assignment yet, despite the praise he was given from his newest accomplishment.

Nowaki let out a deep sigh as he stared down on Earth. Returning home was always a hassle, he never let it show but he was always bored when he stayed for more than one day. One could only retell the tale of their journey more than enough times that they didn't want to say it again.

He was just lucky a good portion of the trainees saw him on his first day back into heaven so he didn't have to repeat himself. The trainees were polite and listened intently but he knew they wanted a more adventurous type of story. Nowaki knew they liked him but he was a healer, not a soldier who took any excuse to 'fight'.

After playing with trainees for the last few days, they exhausted him more than he thought. They were so much fun to play with but he was at a loss when he realized that he grew a lot more tired than usual. Untying his sword from his back, he placed it on his lap while he stretched up his arms, a yawn escaped his lips.

Smacking his lips, he heard the trainees were having a lesson with one of the elders whose voice traveled to where he sat. He stared over his shoulder, he saw Takahiro, one of the cloud bound angels, giving his own lecture. The man's usual enthusiasm lacked, it showed on his face and even his smile seemed somewhat forced. Nowaki wondered what was wrong with the angel, Takahiro was always the carefree smiling type.

Then, he took notice of Misaki standing right behind Takahiro. The young angel had the same demeanor as Takahiro, which was also beyond strange. Nowaki wanted to go and ask them if they needed to talk about something but he didn't want them to think he was imposing in their space.

Misaki had recently returned from his mission in one of Japan's populated cities in one piece. That was cause for celebration between those two, he knew how much Takahiro was worrying over the young angel. Yet, there was a tense atmosphere around them, he was sure the trainees saw it since some dared to whisper to each other while there was a lecture.

Turning around, Nowaki let out a sigh as he rubbed his face with his hands. "Hard time on the outside?"

Nowaki looked over his shoulder again and saw the smiling face of his superior, Tsumori, who he called his senpai. The older angel would act all hurt that he was basically cared old and then they both had a good laugh. It had remained like this since Nowaki first earned his wings.

Tsumori sat right next to him as he untied half of his robes and pushed the past his shoulders. Nowaki knew the angel was more of a nudist but in the current fashion, no one would take Tsumori seriously if he paraded himself in the nude. Not that the female angels and some males would complain, they hid their intentions well but Nowaki knew not all angels kept their vow of celibacy and purity.

He wasn't all that dense, he only knew because Tsumori told him once and he was shocked. His upbringing with his mentors who took care of the newborns, told him that angels were all celibate. He never once saw his mentors express any affection other than an embrace or a shake of the hand.

Then again, his mentors came from an extremely old time where the rules were more stricter than the current time. And he heard horror stories of the angels who were caught having illicit activities, well unless they were powerful then they were left alone to do as they pleased.

Nowaki smiled even though he was tired for the day. "Senpai? When did you return from Australia? I thought what was going on there would last for another month."

Tsumori answered him. "We managed to settle it out so we all came back without a problem." He saw the sword on Nowaki's lap. "Why don't you ask the elders to move you up a rank? I have seen you handle a sword, you are almost good enough for the soldiers."

Nowaki made a face which made Tsumori laugh. "No thanks, I enjoy my life as a healer. Besides, it takes centuries before someone is moved up from what they were originally assigned to do."

"It's not that bad you know,"

"I know but– I would rather not involve myself in hurting other people."

Tsumori snorted. "C'mon Nowaki, all we ever do is get rid of the dark creatures who never get the hint to leave the humans."

"But they never do anything wrong."

"They do by  _existing._ " Tsumori snapped at him.

Nowaki stared at Tsumori in shock, he had never heard his senpai show such abrasive behavior before. The man was always relaxed, a tad arrogant but he never showed such anger over dark beings.

Tsumori saw the expression on Nowaki's face when he said. "Look, I'm sorry for snapping at you. When you are a soldier, we see a lot more than the rest of you do. You don't know the tricks the dark beings will do to get themselves out of trouble, they are the ones who keep killing humans."

"Oh..."

Tsumori patted Nowaki's shoulder when he said. "It's not like you will ever meet a demon stupid enough to confront you. Those bastards are all talk, I killed a few of them the other day."

Nowaki stiffened, he tried not to let his displeasure show on his face. "D-Did you know their names?"

"Fuck no! I left no room to talk and I just obliterated them just like that." Tsumori made a slashing motion with his hand.

"Did they do anything wrong?"

Tsumori rolled his eyes. "Nowaki, you have to understand that demons are not reasonable. These demons were wandering around a village filled with women and children, did you want those kids killed if I didn't do anything?"

Nowaki shook his head, he hated when children were involved in anything that could ruin their brief time on Earth.

He remembered the answers Hiroki gave him, how the lesser demons were the ones daring enough to possess humans. Those were the ones who wanted the control they never got in Hell, so they used humans to cause mischief wherever they went.

Although, there were the rare high rank demons who appeared before humans under a contract to do their bidding for a price. This was performed by humans divulging into magic, which was frowned upon around this era and in certain areas in the world.

He kept this information inside of his head, there was no way he could have known this unless he was in the restricted section of heaven or talked to a demon.

Hiroki was going to remain safe and he would use all of his power to accomplish this feat.

"Anyway, you haven't met any demons right?"

"No." Nowaki responded, he made his voice sound sincere so he wouldn't rise suspicion.

It seemed Tsumori accepted this answer as he patted Nowaki on the shoulder. "Good for you!"

Tsumori's eyes wandered around Nowaki's form, taking in the more refined shape the healer developed after their brief time apart. He didn't know what Nowaki was doing but he was enjoying the physical results. Maybe even see those muscles stretched out in his bed.

His home was away from the elders prying eyes so they wouldn't know what they were doing. A majority of the soldiers did exactly what he did, they even had a list of which angels were reserved for which soldier so there wasn't any confusion. All he had to do was convince Nowaki to indulge himself in his desires a few times with him and they would have a fun time.

He was sure Nowaki would be easily convinced. Every single one of the angels he took to bed eventually took on his offer if it meant going up the ranks without a problem. Despite Nowaki's refusal of wanting to go up the ranks, he knew deep inside the angel was considering it.

When Nowaki looked up at him, Tsumori's lustful expression changed to an innocent smile. The angel was none the wiser as the turned the other way and they resumed their conversation.

Tsumori's eyes never left Nowaki's form the whole time they talked.

TBC

 

 


	6. Rose Colored Lake...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU: They didn't know that their encounter under a giant cherry tree would rewrite both of their lives in the most prominent ways. Demon!Hiroki. Angel!Nowaki

Hiroki stared down at the deceased bodies which surrounded him as he sheathed his sword. His clothes were splattered with blood, none of it was his own but from the ambush that came out of the shadows to kill him. Eyes narrowing, he walked over them, not caring about their bodies when they were the ones who dared to attack him in a group. He didn't step on them, there was no need when he already humiliated them before their deaths. Their blood remained on the ground while the blood remained smeared all over the walls and a majority of it was on Hiroki's body.

His glowing purple eyes ceased and turned back to normal. The adrenaline still coursed through his body with each second that passed. His amber eyes wandered around the rocks inside of the cave, a guardian of death floated past him, the face obscured by the black hood these creatures always wore. Hiroki had never seen the face of a reaper but according to human accounts, they were only skeletons.

The souls accompanying the reaper inched closer to the creature, there were two women and three children this time. Hiroki felt their fear as they laid their eyes on him, the blood all over his body must have elevated their fear since they tried their hardest to stay away from him.

Even in death, humans knew when there was danger and would try to stay away from it.

The guardian of death turned slightly to stare at Hiroki, all the demon saw were a pair of glowing yellow eyes. A hand reached out, touching the middle of his neck where there was a faded strip of black he had since he was born. Any guardian who had not met him before did this, the demon honestly didn't understand these creatures at all.

The spirits hid behind the reaper.

Hiroki uttered. "I don't understand."

The reaper said nothing to him as the creature disappeared into one of the many roads inside of the cave, leaving Hiroki alone and confused.

Hiroki heard the rapid footsteps of demons who were arriving just in time for the rays of the morning sun. He didn't want to engage into another altercation, the moment those demons smelled the blood, they would either want to challenge him or gang up on him.

This prompted him to hurry out of Hell's gate.

His thoughts went toward the warm embrace the angel provided for him before he went back home. The inviting aura which encased him and calmed him down, giving him the extra boost which had him going all the way home. Nowaki's gentle smile, those blue eyes, they held no judgement over anything he told him and his welcoming voice.

His mind only calculated one thing, he needed him  _now._

Running through the forest, Hiroki felt some of the branches scratch his body, his legs ached from the top speed running he was doing. The blood dried on his clothing, his eyes watered slightly from the air hitting his eyes. He closed them briefly but had to open them again before he hit any of the trees on his run. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, his hands were soaked through with blood so he didn't want to smear them on his eyes.

In front of him, he saw the clear barrier which showed in front of his eyes. He urged his body to go faster and faster, he didn't want to remain bare to the elements. The barrier would protect his whole body and block out everything that could possibly hurt him. Any other being other than him and Nowaki was allowed in that lake, it was his escape from everything.

Hiroki passed through the barrier in a hurry, the peaceful nature of the lake called to him. The usual white light he saw whenever he got closer appeared before his eyes, blocking it with the back of his blood soaked hand, he made it through. The light dissipated as the lake appeared before his eyes, he stopped in his run as he stood there. He breathed heavily as he tried to regain his normal breathing rate while he focused on the calming lake. His surroundings were blurred away from his vision, except for that lake, he didn't even notice Nowaki who stood by their usual spot at that lake.

The angel didn't take immediate notice of Hiroki but turned around when he realized Hiroki had arrived. Nowaki dropped the sword in his hands when he saw Hiroki. His eyes widened when he saw the demon, there was blood all over him and it seemed he was about ready to fall onto his knees. His heart beat faster, fearing the worst that happened to his friend. Scenarios of a demon slaying down Hiroki, steamed in his mind, he was sure Hiroki was capable of defending himself but he was always so worried about him.

"Hiro-san! What happened?!" Nowaki exclaimed as he hurried over to Hiroki and stopped right in front of him. "Are you hurt? Did someone manage to injure you before you came to see me. Please talk to me."

He refrained from touching him as he hovered around the demon to check for any injuries. Any touch from him might ignite a negative reaction from Hiroki and he knew how hard the demon could punch when given the chance. Nowaki frowned when Hiroki didn't tell him anything, he simply stood there like a statue. He didn't give any indication that he heard him to begin with.

Hiroki shook his head, denying everything Nowaki speculated. "I'm fine."

"No you're not!" Nowaki checked Hiroki with panic stricken eyes while he gently took a hold of one of Hiroki's bloodied hands. "You're injured, look at you, you are soaked in blood."

Hiroki let the angel fuss over him as he looked to his left. "This is someone else's blood Nowaki." The smell of blood was making him so dizzy that he wanted to faint. "Trust me...I am fine. Perfectly fine."

Nowaki didn't believe him as he pulled him toward the lake when he said. "You have to wash this off of you," Hiroki didn't resist as he let Nowaki lead him toward the lake, he stumbled once and felt Nowaki hold him close to prevent him from falling anymore. "This is someone else's blood right?" He had to confirm it before he freaked out again.

Hiroki nodded his head. "Yes...well a few demons who tried ganging up on me when I walked toward the gate entrance."

Nowaki frowned as he made sure Hiroki wouldn't fall behind as they continued on going toward the lake. There was no use holding a grudge when they were already dead, he was sure Hiroki took good care of them and they wouldn't bother the demon when he returned home again. He knew not all demons were bad but to gang up on someone was something unspeakable to him. After all the things Hiroki told him about the manner demons fought each other, ganging up on someone was a cowardly act.

Hiroki explained how demanding a battle against another demon was delivered from going on against someone one-on-one. It tested the strength of the demon and it showed off their strength, when a demon was ganged up on outside of the battlefield, the demon who instigated the battle couldn't gain the win as a victory. If anything, the high level demons wouldn't accept the victory since one of their own was caught off guard. Victory was validated through the one person,

This was a rare thing though, Hiroki told him the last time this happened to him he got rid of them without a problem. Nowaki wasn't at all worried now that he thought about what Hiroki told him, his friend was not weak by all means. He knew Hiroki was capable of taking care of himself, he was adult, the demon had not needed his father's protection in centuries. Yet, something didn't settle inside of his heart about Hiroki's safety back home and the scare he just had when he saw all of this blood on his body.

He didn't understand, he had friends in Heaven who he never worried about with this much passion. His chest ached when he was around Hiroki, his heart leaped when they spoke, his behavior was much different with Hiroki than anyone else he met.

Nowaki shook his head, gaining Hiroki's slight attention as he stared up at him. His dull eyes wandered around Nowaki's expressive face, seeing the visible distress, he didn't know Nowaki cared so much.

Why did he care so much?

Hiroki followed right after him as Nowaki kept a firm grip around his hand and he felt his boots filling up with water. His pants were getting wet and this didn't bother him, he was just too tired to care about the condition of his clothes. He would never wear these again, there was no point, the smell of blood was imprinted in them and he would be forever overwhelmed if he wore them again. He closed his eyes as he felt Nowaki's gentle hands rub circles on his hands. Slowly dissipating the blood that dried on his hands, the smell was disappearing.

He had no feelings on this comforting gesture, his mind was blank. There was no registering how an angel was helping him, the one angel who gave him any positive input on these co-called angels. The one who wanted to keep up these meetings between the both of them.

Hiroki opened his eyes slightly and saw Nowaki's determined blue eyes.

For the first time in ages, he felt completely safe.

* * *

Nowaki rubbed Hiroki's bloodied hands and the water around them turned into a light pink. His white robe changed pink from the blood pooling around them, the blood which was on Hiroki's clothes were seeping through and traveled around them. If they had paid any attention, they would have seen the matter the blood surrounded them and how familiar they were touching each other. He slowly gathered his sense every second the blood colored the lake an even deeper red and he was realizing Nowaki's wasn't asking him any questions. In fact, Nowaki's concentration was on washing the blood off of his body.

Hiroki felt his pride deflate slightly at Nowaki seeing him in such a vulnerable state. Earlier, he was eager to see the angel and gather in his presence to gain his own self control but he forgot about his physical state. Of course, the angel would go into his caring mode and attempt to clean him of all of the blood. He was sure half of the blood was off of his body at that point but Nowaki kept his hands on any visible skin that was smeared with blood, which wasn't that much. Standing on the lake, the water was washing the blood off of his clothes anyway, he didn't need the angel's assistance. Though, he made no move to stop Nowaki's actions.

Normally, Hiroki never let anyone touch him for such a long period of time. His old lovers only stayed long enough to gain their pleasures and they never talked again. He never broke his serious expressions, maybe quickness of breath but never anything he heard some mates experience in their homes. Some were not very private on their activities, he even walked past a coupling as a young demon and his father was forced to explain everything to him.

His system with his old lovers worked long enough, until those demons gathered mates and they grew jealous that they once shared their bed with him. Hiroki didn't care, if those demons wanted to flaunt that they had sex, it wasn't a problem to him. He had no remote care of what they all thought, it was a shared interest and they had no remote affection for each other. Well except for the mates those demons got and acted against him in jealously when they had also done the same as every single demon in Hell.

Hiroki was just grateful he managed to go through life on his own terms and was powerful enough at a young age that he was more than intimidating. He heard stories from his father about demons who were forced or coerced into actions they didn't desire to do. This was one reason the children stayed in hiding until they were able to take care of themselves.

Suddenly, Nowaki stopped rubbing on Hiroki's shoulders and noticed there was a huge splatter of blood on his face. There was more in Hiroki's hair but he wasn't about to push him into the lake to scrub it all off, Hiroki would most likely take care of this himself. He reached up and placed his hand on Hiroki's cheek.

Amber eyes and blue eyes connected.

Nowaki smiled lightly as he rubbed his soaked hand on Hiroki's cheek to rub off the dry blood from his face. Diluted blood rolled down his arm and then onto the river. The demon leaned into Nowaki's hand and he closed his eyes, surprising the angel in front of him.

After such a long exchange, Hiroki spoke. "Nowaki."

Nowaki's heart quickened, he continued on washing Hiroki's face, trying hard to control the feeling in his heart. "Yes?"

Hiroki opened his eyes and stared down at the lake. "I think you got most of it off of me. You can stop now."

Nowaki shook his head. "You have some left throughout your hair, Hiro-san."

"I'll take care of it myself."

The angel held back a smile, he knew Hiroki would tell him this.

"Alright, whatever you want to do." Nowaki asked him.

Hiroki crouched down and submerged himself into the water. Nowaki saw the demon scrub his hair with his hands, the water surrounding the demon turned a pale red color and Hiroki immediately stood up, taking in a break of air. The demon squeezed the longer pieces of his hair and saw a majority of the blood left his hair but there was still some of it left. All he smelled was the flowers in full bloom all throughout the lake, this was a welcome change than the iron smell going around before it was washed off of him.

He let out a sigh, he rubbed the middle of his hands which had a slightly cut from his blade when he swung it too hard earlier. Trying not to wince, he placed his hands underwater, the cool liquid soothed his scratch.

Nowaki stared down in his robes, the bottom half had turned pink from the blood seeping through his pristine white robes. He would have to attempt to wash it all out and dry it off on the branches of the tree. Although, any angel would notice the slight discoloration and would question him. He had to admit, angels were notorious snoopers and found out if anything was off in any angel. It made him feel a little guilty that he managed to hide these meetings so far but the feeling went away fast as it came.

"You know we have to put your clothes out to dry, right?" Hiroki's shoes were soaked through as well, those were going to take longer to dry out.

"I don't want them." Hiroki told him as he took off his shirt and held it away from him. "The smell of blood is not going to leave it no matter how much I wash. Trust me I have tried."

Nowaki nodded his head. "If you insist." He held Hiroki's free hand and lead him out of the lake, Hiroki didn't say anything to the contrary as he followed him.

* * *

Hiroki turned away the moment he noticed Nowaki was slipping off his robes from his body. He saw that Nowaki felt complete comfort in taking off his clothes in front of him which was something he didn't expect. He peeked over his shoulder and saw Nowaki's broad back and shoulders, there was no blemish in sight, in a way, Hiroki envied him. He had some scars on his chest from his old battles, none on his back, but this shouldn't have been a surprise. Nowaki was a healer, he could heal any wound on his body to the point where no scarring was present. Well, only a real skilled healer could do such a thing, he didn't know if Nowaki had ever fought anyone to the brink of receiving any ghastly injuries.

He turned his attention on the cherry blossom tree in front of him, the tree was the main thing which had a calming effect on him. Nowaki's aura was a close second but he realized that it was this tree that somehow brought this neutral effect on this lake. He placed his hand on the bark of the tree, the energy flowed out on his hand while the wind passed along. Bringing along loose petals on his wet hair and Hiroki let out a growl.

Nowaki grabbed onto his sandals and his wet robe when he heard the growl. Turning around, he let out a snort at the petals which were stuck on Hiroki's hair and bare shoulders. He received a glare in return but it didn't stop Nowaki from grinning from ear to ear what he saw. He never understood why the petals were always sticking to Hiroki. When he slept against this tree on the day they first met, the petals simply brushed against him and fell onto the grass.

Hiroki shook his head, a majority of those petals fell off of his head but some of them remained on his head. "I think you might have to wear something to block those off your hair from these petals, Hiro-san."

"I will never wear a head scarf or any hat."

"Then enjoy your new flower crown." Nowaki smiled as he walked past Hiroki with no shame in his nude body and placed his wet robes on one of the branches on the tree. "It really looks good on you I have to say."

Hiroki's cheeks turned slightly pink as he snapped. "Shut up." He kicked off his boots and he placed them in the sun so they could dry off.

Walking next to Nowaki, he placed his shirt on the same branch and Nowaki saw he still had his pants on when he asked. "Aren't you going to dry your pants off too?"

"Eh?" Hiroki stared down at his pants. "They are already drying off."

Nowaki patted Hiroki's thigh, he immediately felt the wetness of the fabric and Hiroki averted his eyes. "You are such a liar, Hiro-san." Nowaki grinned. "There's no one else other than me here and I am fully naked! So you can take them off."

"Alright, alright, I'll take them off." Hiroki untied the ropes of his pants and he felt Nowaki staring at him. "Are you going to stare at me as I undress?"

Nowaki's face reddened at Hiroki catching him looking at him. "S-Sorry." He turned away as Hiroki laughed.

"And here you were flaunting that you were nude."

Nowaki heard the shuffling of Hiroki taking off his pants, waiting for Hiroki to tell him to turn back. The demon didn't have to ask him to look away but after being told that he was unknowingly watching him, he didn't him to think he was a bad person. Although, he felt better that the lethargic and vague responding demon was slowly going back to normal.

Smiling, Nowaki shivered slightly from the wind hitting his back and the water that was left on his body. He rubbed his arms to gather some warmth and he knew the next thing he would bring the next time he came to the lake was extra clothes. Maybe even bring a robe for Hiroki so they could lounge together near the lake, through he might plan to make something to sit on other than the grass and the tree.

Hiroki placed his pants on the branch and wrung out some of the water when he said. "I'm done. What are we supposed to wear until they dry off? We can't walk around in the nude." He didn't know why he was drying them he was going to get rid of them, although, he was going to need new clothes before he returned home.

Nowaki turned around when he suggested. "We sit near the tree? It's better than standing around." He walked over to one of the many spaces in the roots as he sat down, he patted his legs. "You can sit on my lap."

Hiroki arched a brow as he crossed his arms over his chest. "And why should I do that?"

Nowaki grinned. "There's no where else to sit that is comfortable and I know you don't want to sit on wood without clothes on."

Hiroki stared at him, he stared at the roots of the tree and them on Nowaki's lap. Ignoring the fact Nowaki was naked was something he could do, it wasn't like they were going go to anything.

They were only friends.

"Fine." Hiroki walked over to Nowaki and carefully sat in between his legs, he felt Nowaki wrap his arms around him the moment his body made contact. "Why are you holding me for?"

Nowaki nuzzled his cheek. "We'll get much warmer this way."

Hiroki opened his mouth, then retracted what he was going to originally say when he resigned himself. "If you say so."

Hiroki relaxed against Nowaki's arms, letting the warm energy of the angel overwhelm his body. His body shivered when the wind hit his nude body and the same went to Nowaki's body. Their bodies molded together in perfect alignment where even their legs were not in stiff positions.

Hiroki was sure his hair was tickling Nowaki's nose since he was a head shorter than the tall angel, not that Nowaki told him anything. In fact, he was sure Nowaki was smiling right behind him, even his arms tightened around his body which made him slightly nervous. To be this exposed in the open and having someone else holding him, this was not something he  _ever_  did.

"Hiro-san?" Nowaki inquired, breaking Hiroki from his thoughts. "Next time, should I bring some extra clothes with me?"

"Sure," Hiroki said as he observed the lake and all around the perimeter his eyes could catch. "We should build a small house next time..."

Nowaki nodded his head as he buried his nose in Hiroki's hair. "Of course..I can bring some tools from a nearby village, they know me well enough to give me what I need."

Hiroki asked. "They know who you are?"

Nowaki shook his head. "I'm a simple wandering medic to them, they don't know who I really am."

"Oh." Hiroki said. "You are really careful around the humans."

"Of course I am." Nowaki added on. "The few angels who exposed themselves throughout our existence only did it to either escape their duty or to..."

Hiroki smirked, knowing what exactly Nowaki going to tell him next. "To have sex."

Nowaki's cheeks warmed as he nodded his head.

"You do know there is nothing wrong with that. Well, considering the fact that angels were supposed to be abstinent so I would have thought those who did got punished by whatever law you have. Which brings up the question," Hiroki turned his head slightly and stared up at Nowaki. "Do  _you_  get feelings of sexual desire?"

Nowaki stiffly nodded his head. "We are not..we are not supposed to. Well the angels who trained me, drilled into my head that any of those feelings would block my mind on what I am assigned to do. But—" He hid his eyes with his bangs, "I can't help but feel them from time to time."

Hiroki poked Nowaki's leg. "So even you have desires...why not act on them? You have the looks to get anyone you want."

Nowaki pondered on that for a moment before he answered. "You see...I want to feel what love is like before trying anything like that."

Hiroki turned around on Nowaki's lap, completely forgetting they were both nude. "Are you serious?"

The angel felt a warmness spread on his chest when Hiroki's butt rubbed against his cock. He saw the demon moving around his lap in an attempt to get into a more comfortable sitting position, he clenched his jaw and concentrated on something else. He repeated a mantra he was taught inside of his head and averted his eyes from Hiroki.

Hiroki stopped in a right place he liked. "I never hear that very often, most just act on instinct and don't think about emotions."

Nowaki was relieved the warm feeling went away from his body, he smiled lightly. "Humans always tell me how wonderful it is like to be in love." He scratched his nose. "And..some even ask me on advice on sex when I have no remote experience, I only know from human literature."

Hiroki furrowed his eyebrows and poked Nowaki directly on the forehead. "What the fuck are they teaching you in your training? Can't they at least make sure you don't give yourself away with awful advice in sex? You know one wrong thing will have humans see through whatever disguise you have. If you are disguising as a doctor, at least know what you are talking about."

"You think they would have known?" Nowaki asked. "I have only gotten asked those questions through these recent decades, before then, it was mostly medicine. We never had a need to know about sex."

Hiroki rolled his eyes as he turned away from him and crossed his arms. "Are they still using the whole scare tactic to prevent you all from even trying it out with someone? I was once told by someone how those old angels had this belief in when they lose their virginity that they die or something."

Nowaki's eyes widened. "Y-Yes, it's that exact same line that my trainers told me."

Hiroki placed his cheek on Nowaki's chest. "That is incredibly stupid. I have seen plenty of angels fucking humans and they don't keel over."

"True but..." Nowaki let out a deep sigh. "The only angels who ever came back were punished for it."

"Huh?" Hiroki lifted his head. "You have got to be kidding me? Punished for doing something for themselves?"

"Yes. We are supposed to focus on what we were assigned when we became fully fledged angels. Straying from that path warrants punishment."

Hiroki scoffed. "Let me guess, demons and humans are doomed for failure for having sex."

Nowaki frowned. "Yes..."

"Whatever." Hiroki yawned. "Not like I care."

The strenuous fight and the lack of sleep caught up with him as Hiroki closed his eyes and went lack in Nowaki's arms. Hiroki wrapped his arms around Nowaki's chest and nuzzled his cheek in the warmness. In his half-sleep state, he didn't realize that he wasn't back home. The safety Nowaki's arms provided, tricked his body into thinking he was back home.

Nowaki smiled, knowing full well Hiroki was in a deep sleep, he wouldn't know what he said. "I see," He stared at the lake as he narrowed his eyes. "I wish I had this same attitude of yours..."

Nowaki removed one arm from Hiroki's warm body to rub his eyes. He stared down at the demon, to his surprise, he saw Hiroki sleeping away in his arms. Nowaki made himself more comfortable against the tree as he carefully moved Hiroki so he wouldn't sleep in an awkward position. He smiled when he heard Hiroki murmuring some words in a language he couldn't understand, the demon's grip tightened on his torso as well.

A piece of the tree poked at his side as he frowned and knew the only way they would be comfortable was sleeping on the grass. He made sure Hiroki was secure in his arms as he stood up, the demon didn't stir and remained asleep. Nowaki grabbed his dry robe and dropped it on the grass. He crouched down and made sure it was even before he laid on it with Hiroki in his arms.

He stared at the demon, taking into account on how at peace the demon seemed. Nowaki thought that Hiroki would have awoken when he moved around but Hiroki must have been tired out from earlier.

Nowaki kissed Hiroki's forehead when he said. "Sweet dreams, Hiro-san."

TBC

 

 


	7. A Damaging Encounter...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons and angels AU: A meeting between two different individuals changes many long standing views of each others way of life. Their forming friendship and affection catches the eyes of many who wish to do harm to them. As well as exposing many old secrets after centuries upon centuries of concealment. Angel!Nowaki Demon!Hiroki

Nowaki held a dark red robe in his arms. His smile never left his face while he maneuvered through the thick forest. After a few unsuccessful tries at dying the fabric. It finally took on the color he knew Hiroki wouldn't mind wearing. A pristine white robe didn't suit well to Hiroki's taste in clothing. Hiroki desired dark colors, anything that didn't present anything bright. Adding the extra time for the colors didn't bother the angel. He only wanted Hiroki to have an extra set of clothing when they met each other. Not that he told Hiroki about this surprise, he wanted to see the look on his face when he gave it to him.

He argued that his own clothing was white. Hiroki commented it was more grey than anything else. Their talk transitioned into a light banter over Nowaki's robes. No hard intentions behind their words, the atmosphere provided a safe place for their rants. They came to understand that a lot of their arguments didn't turn bad. They remained light and playful. Nowaki had managed to make Hiroki laugh so hard he fell to the floor. One of his most finest moments.

One thing they planned on doing was the small home they wanted to place near the lake. Although, gathering the materials and planning everything turned out more difficult than they thought. Their plans changed every single time they met. Hiroki wanted a simpler place. Nowaki wanted to add extensions so they might actually live in it. Although, it was hard to live in it when they had responsibilities. His status up in heaven and Hiroki's father down in Hell.

They couldn't stay on Earth for long. Their absences would tip off anyone who knew them.

After the summer season passed, came the fall. Nowaki wore long robes and even his hair grew a bit. They went all the way down to his ankles. He settled on simple sandals, the ties wrapped around his ankles. This way they wouldn't fall off when he flew up toward heaven. It happened far too many times than he liked to admit.

His smile never left his face as he walked through the usual trail he took toward the lake. The trees changed to orange and yellow colors. Many of the leaves falling, the trees exposed to the elements. Nowaki loved the new atmosphere the change provided. Whenever he went to the lake in the early morning, Hiroki took advantage and scared him. His glowing purple eyes peeking through the mist, he pounced on him to spook him. He screamed as a result. Hiroki roared in laughter. He had attempted to scare the demon but with no results.

His practical jokes had more results. Hiroki expected attacks from behind. Not from someone dumping water from on top of his head. Then a pile of cherry blossoms falling on top of him. The tree somehow produced enough petals to remain vibrant and alive. It never ran out of petals. Nowaki wondered if someone enchanted the tree to keep blooming all year round. He told Hiroki about his observations. Hiroki commented on the pure aura which came from the tree. He saw nothing wrong with it. So they continued on hanging around the tree and placed their possessions against it.

He wondered what Hiroki brought to this new meeting. Last time, he carried a huge watermelon and slashed it open with his sword. Everything was precise. He handed Nowaki a piece and he found he loved the juicy fruit. Half the time they met, it turned into a fruit exchange.

"Nowaki-san!"

Nowaki jumped, he snapped his head toward the left and his eyes widened. Misaki ran toward him. His short brown hair slicked back into a spiky hair style. He had a short tunic which showed off his legs. Nowaki wondered how Misaki managed to leave heaven without Takahiro's interference. He policed Misaki's outfits. Having done so since he took on Misaki as his pupil. Misaki didn't mind since he admired Takahiro to a high extent. Nowaki just found it odd.

Misaki stopped in front of Nowaki with the biggest grin on his face. Happy to see someone he recognized. The last angel he ran into just ignored him and went on his merry way. Takahiro warned him when he was on Earth he was on his own. Most angels didn't help each other. They had their own mission to complete, diverting from it meant failure.

Nowaki's eyes widened, he held the robe tight in his arms. "Misaki, what are you doing here?"

The young angel almost frowned at Nowaki's lack of a warm welcome. "The higher ups sent me down around this area and wanted me to look around before I get to work. They wanted me to observe the village I got assigned to before I start." Maybe he interrupted Nowaki in the middle of his mission. No wonder he seemed distressed.

"Oh," Nowaki held back the urge to peek over his shoulder to check for any sign of Hiroki. "I thought they were sending you down South? That's where Takahiro-san suggested for you to go for your first job."

Misaki shook his head. "Nope!" He tried added more pep in his voice, "I suggested I stay in this same area since we know each other. This way we can cover each other if anything goes wrong." He pushed back a stray hair from his forehead. "Nii-san and I...we are not on speaking terms at the moment."

"Why not?" Nowaki inquired as he watched Misaki.

"Just some differences on some personal things." Misaki explained as he shifted his bow on his shoulder. "So...where are you going?"

Nowaki made up a quick excuse. "I'm going to help out some people in the neighboring town. Well, I'm taking a break with a quick walk. Having so many humans clamoring for a quick cure does tire me out."

Misaki nodded his head. "Ah, the elders told me that sometimes happened when you take on so many people."

Nowaki shivered when he felt a dark energy from his right. He peeked from the corner of his eyes and saw a pair of pure red eyes. Pure malicious intent oozed from his body. Nowaki's heart dropped. An actual demon caught onto them. This one was more powerful than the one he saw with Hiroki.

"Nowaki-"

Nowaki lifted up his hand to silence Misaki as he unsheathed his sword. "Come on out." He placed the robe near a tree, he didn't want it scorched or ruined.

Misaki tried taking off his bow from his shoulder. His trembling hands couldn't get a hold of it. When he grabbed it, he got into his stance and snatched out a bow from his carrying case. It dropped onto the ground and he fumbled to pick it up. In his simulations in heaven, powerful angels fought the trainees. Just for them to get a handle on their skills. A demon with such volatile energy wasn't discussed.

These powerful demon were a rare occurrence.

* * *

Akihiko licked his lips as he eyed the brown haired angel with interest. He seemed so ignorant and gullible that he wanted nothing more than to taint this soul. To make him beg to end his existence. He enjoyed making the new ones scream for mercy. They had such beautiful voices when cried. The taller angel beside him held no interest to him. He was powerful in strength and his spiritual powers went up. That one might give him a challenge. He might go after him when he finished off the short one. His blade needed blood. A good way to start an early autumn morning.

He walked out of the brush, his hands caressing the handle of his blade. Staying a fair distance away, he observed them. The newbie trembled while holding his weapon. This brought him joy. He hadn't opened his mouth yet and the boy almost fainted. He frowned at the one holding his sword. His eyes filled with experience. The stance was perfect, this angel wasn't messing around.

The tall angel demanded. "What do you want?"

Akihiko smirked as he turned his gaze to angel next to him. "Fun. That's all I want. You two will provide that for me."

"Misaki," The tall angel said as Misaki jumped. "I'll handle him, go far away from here."

"I don't think so," Akihiko collected fire in his hands and blasted it at Misaki's direction. The angel dodged it in time as the tree behind him caught on fire.

"Ah! Nowaki-san!" Misaki exclaimed as he bolted to Nowaki's side.

Nowaki tried not to sigh. It seemed Misaki's wasn't trained that well if he panicked. When he got trained, they made sure he didn't react at the last second. Many new angels got killed over the smallest avoidable mistake. Most of his old injuries were from trusting the wrong person who turned into a dark creature. He knew they were not all bad. There was a reason why the older angels advised him  _not_  to leave himself exposed.

He felt Misaki gripped the back of his robe and he reached behind to pat him on the head. Misaki's shivering ceased. His hand still held onto his clothing. He might have to handle this demon on his own. Although, Misaki might surprise him and jump in to shoot the demon down.

"Aw...is the little one scared?" Akihiko taunted.

Nowaki glared at him. "You are more civil than I realized. You haven't charged at us yet."

Akihiko snorted. "I am not _civil_. He tapped the handle of his sword. "I am assessing your strength." His hand curled around the handle. "Your weaknesses. From the scream of the weak one, he has  _no_  experience in fighting. He won't survive long outside of your sanctuary in the clouds."

Misaki peeked behind Nowaki, he growled. "What the hell do you know?!"

Akihiko chuckled. "So, the shrimp  _has_  a voice."

Misaki walked around Nowaki and glared at the demon. "Of course I do! You are the one being a jerk!"

Akihiko unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Misaki. "Then fight me," He stared at his bow. "Although, a sword is better suited for battle. Those flimsy arrows will do nothing for you."

Nowaki had enough as he pushed Misaki behind him. "If a sword is what you want, then fight me."

Akihiko said nothing as he swung his sword. Nowaki moved his arm, blocking his sword without a problem with his blade. Another swing, another block. Their eyes connected. Nowaki didn't flinch when Akihiko's eyes glowed an even darker red. Flames peeked through Akihiko's mouth, heating Nowaki's face. The lighting contorted his face. Nowaki jumped back and held back a shiver. He fought many battles. Whether he won or lost, he had to survive in the end.

Nowaki hitched his breath as he hit the tree and blood trickled down his forearm. Misaki had started shooting arrows at the demon without a care and kept missing. His other hand clung the robe close to his body. All that time he spent trying to make it perfect wouldn't get wasted on this demon. His malicious glowing red eyes made him shiver. Keeping himself together, Nowaki ran toward Akihiko. He noticed the demon continued on smirking. Playing with him. It seemed he didn't take his battle skills in a serious way.

Akihiko disappeared from Nowaki's view and Nowaki stood dumbfounded. He turned when he felt the wind change and managed to block Akihiko's blade. "You are actually a challenge...it seems I have to go faster then."

Misaki positioned himself near a tree. Holding his bow in a good position, he aimed at Akihiko. He gritted his teeth when Akihiko continued on moving around. His fast pace made him dizzy. He gulped as he shot one arrow and missed. It landed on the tree. Misaki swore under his breath. He grabbed another arrow and tried keeping up with Akihiko's speed.

Nowaki breathed even with each movement of his sword. He attempted to punch Akihiko but he brushed against his bangs instead. He felt a sharp pain on his arm. Looking down, he saw a trickle of blood rolling down his skin. He frowned as he caught the demon off guard and kicked Akihiko. He slammed against the tree. Coughing came out of the demon as he stood up and continued on his assault.

Nowaki moved out of the way. Misaki took his place as he shot arrows at the demon. His supply unlimited. He got into a rhythm as he continued on shooting arrows. Akihiko cut through him without even trying. Misaki was livid. He picked up the pace as he ran around the area. Going through the trees and made sure the demon's attention was on him.

Hovering his hand over the cut on his arm, Nowaki bit the inside of his cheek. His hand glowed. The wound healed without any pain. He saw Misaki landing an arrow at the demon's torso. Flames came out of his mouth, burning pieces of Misaki's hair.

"Got you!" Misaki taunted.

Akihiko pulled out the arrow, the pure energy left burn marks on his skin. "Not quite," He dumped it on the ground.

Nowaki grabbed the back of Misaki's tunic and told him. "Run and go back to Takahiro-san." Nowaki saw the demon hesitate as his eyes stayed on Misaki. "Tell the elders you can't come to this sector anymore. Your security has been compromised. Switch your weapon as well."

Misaki nodded his head. "What about you?"

Nowaki assured him. "I'm fine. I have my own hiding spot."

Misaki spread his wings and flew through the trees. When Akihiko tried to run after him, Nowaki got in his way. The demon glared at him and Nowaki intercepted him until Misaki went through the clouds in the sky.

"You-"

Nowaki grabbed the robe left on the ground as he disappeared through the trees. Backing through the barrier, he watched Akihiko gaze everywhere in confusion. A sigh of relief went through his lips. It was a close call. Misaki distracted him enough to not pay attention to his surroundings. At least, Misaki would get transferred to a different sector. The South was the safest for a newbie.

He ran through the trees toward the lake. Never stopping to check if the demon left.

* * *

"Hiro-san!" Nowaki exclaimed when he spotted him on the cherry blossom tree.

Hiroki jumped down onto the grass, he took notice of Nowaki's distressed face. "What happened? Is everything alright?"

Nowaki clutched the robe close to his chest with one hand. The other hand kept a hold of his sword. It slipped from his hands and landed onto the ground. Taking no notice of it, he stumbled a few more steps. He collapsed onto his knees which prompted Hiroki to kneel beside him.

"Nowaki?" Hiroki moved the sword behind him so it wouldn't hurt Nowaki. "What's going on?" He rubbed Nowaki's shoulder and Nowaki's placed his forehead on his shoulder. "Did you encounter something?" Nowaki made a voice of confirmation, a rustle of fabric, his arms wrapped around him. "Damn it..what was it?"

Nowaki uttered. "A demon."

Hiroki scoffed. "You have your forehead on the shoulder of a  _demon_. How can you not stay afraid of me?"

Nowaki shook his head. "I don't see you as a demon, you are my friend."

Hiroki ran his fingers through Nowaki's soft black hair. "Yes...I don't see you as an angel either." His eyes hardened, someone tried to  _hurt_  Nowaki. "Describe this demon to me, I will kill him in revenge for you."

Nowaki's head snapped up. "No! You don't have to do that for me!" His eyes averted toward the grass. "He wanted to go after one of the other angels who found me." Hiroki's hand gripped his robe. "No, he doesn't know about this lake. I had him leave toward heaven while I was fighting this demon."

"Are you hurt?" Hiroki inquired as he checked Nowaki's body, parts of his robe had burnt edges.

"No," Nowaki explained. "I healed the cut he gave me before I came here. It's just that...he looked so bloodthirsty. All he wanted to do was to kill us off with no mercy."

Hiroki rubbed Nowaki's shoulder and remained quiet. No talk of revenge. He didn't want to stress him out. All he could do was hold him close to his body. The big body of the angel curled close to his chest.

"I managed to get my friend to go away in time." Nowaki added in. "I kicked him in the chest and he slammed into the tree."

"Good." Hiroki said as Nowaki's placed his cheek on his chest. "Did your...companion put in anymore help?"

Nowaki sighed. "He was mortified at first. Misaki is new.  _Too_  new. He had never handled a demon higher than the ones wandering Earth. He froze when he first appeared." Nowaki rubbed his cheek on Hiroki's shirt. "When I fought is when he started shooting arrows at this silver haired demon."

Hiroki dug his claws into Nowaki's shoulders making him yelp in pain. "Shit, I'm sorry."

Nowaki kept on holding him. "You know that demon, don't you?"

"Yes. You're lucky you made it away alive." Hiroki gave a blunt response.

Nowaki flinched.

"Don't worry," Hiroki said as he rubbed the sore spots he caused with his nails. "He doesn't come up here on Earth often,"

"Why not?"

"He got his heart broken,"

Nowaki's eyes widened. "That demon  _loved_  someone?"

Hiroki pushed back Nowaki's bangs. "Yes, I heard stories from his half brother. He had hidden journals in his room when I still visited him. I read them when I was bored. A stupid thing to do but I wouldn't have gotten the truth otherwise." He paused before he continued. "An angel with the gentlest heart captured the ruthless Akihiko Usami's heart. I always wondered what he looked like."

"Do you know his name?" Nowaki asked.

"Takahiro Takahashi."

* * *

Takahiro held Misaki tight in his arms. He murmured soothing words to cease Misaki's quivering. Tears trickling down his face as he recalled what Misaki told their elders. One day. One day he went down onto Earth and a high level demon attacked him. Nowaki made sure Misaki escaped. When he saw him again, he would express all his gratitude. He knew it was too early for Misaki to leave heaven but the elders insisted.

Misaki clutched Takahiro's robes. Tight enough that his knuckles turned white. His body jolted. The evil red eyes that came from that demon. He imagined them inside of his mind. They assessed him quick. This demon told him he was weak. Inside of his mind, he knew he wasn't ready. His rose colored glasses on the state of Earth vanished from his eyes.

"Oh Misaki...I am so sorry that was your first experience." Takahiro said as he caressed Misaki's hair. "You'll do better next time."

Misaki sniffled. "But the demon...his red eyes!"

"I know.." Takahiro rubbed his back. "Those type of demons don't wander on Earth unless prompted. You won't have to face him again if you transfer to the South."

"I will." Misaki assured him. "I feel so stupid, I should had listened to you."

"You are not stupid." Takahiro kissed his temple. "It's a learning experience. Now, tell nii-san what this demon looked like."

Misaki gulped. "He had short silver hair, horns protruding from the sides of his head which curled inward, and when his eyes didn't glow red; they were purple."

"No."

"Nii-san?"

"You did not encounter  _him_."

Misaki touched Takahiro's face with his cold hands. "Nii-san?"

"Misaki," Takahiro rubbed Misaki's shoulders. "When you see that demon again, run away. Do not engage in combat with this demon.  _Promise me_."

Misaki nodded his head without hesitation. "I won't fight him."

"Good." Takahiro sighed, an uneasy smile appeared on his face. "Now, let's go with the elders and get you transferred. Shall we?"

* * *

Hiroki arched a brow at Nowaki's pondering expression. "You know this angel?" It didn't surprise him. Nowaki seemed the type to know everyone and befriend people without a problem.

"He's Misaki's mentor."

"Ah." Hiroki said. "Is he as pure and wonderful as the stories I heard?"

Nowaki smiled. "He is ...a tad dense but he is a kind soul."

"I see." Hiroki said as Nowaki continued on holding him tight. "Felling better?" Nowaki's sincere smile returned to his face. "You're feeling better."

Nowaki tightened his grip on him. "I still want to keep holding onto you."

"Do whatever you want."

"I will, thank you."

Hiroki rolled his eyes as he noticed the red fabric Nowaki had in between their bodies.

"What's this?" Hiroki inquired as he pulled up a dark red robe.

Nowaki's cheeks darkened, he hid it with a laugh. "I made that for you."

"Me?" Hiroki stared at the material as he sat on the grass, taking Nowaki down with him. "What for?"

"Just so we match a bit. Mine are white and yours are dark red. It's just so we can relax here in the lake. You don't have to wear it back home." Nowaki explained.

Hiroki rubbed his fingers on the material. "It's well made. I didn't know you could make clothing."

"I added the dye to make it this color." Nowaki boasted as he sat up, unhooking his arms from Hiroki's body. His eyes twinkled under the sun. "I made it out of the materials given to me in heaven to make my clothing. I knew you wouldn't like to wear white." Hiroki wrinkled his nose in agreement. "But since you touched it, the pure threads are gone." Nowaki pointed out. "No one will know it came from heaven."

"I wouldn't have cared either way." Hiroki commented. "The aura is so not so noticeable. Only a high level demon would have detected this." He turned to Nowaki and smiled. "Thank you, you didn't have to do this for me."

Nowaki leaned forward and connected their foreheads. "I wanted to do this for you." He snickered. "Now, we have to build our little house."

Hiroki rolled his eyes. "You mean,  _you_  are building that travesty. Not me."

TBC


	8. A Look into the Past...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons and angels AU: A meeting between two different individuals changes many long standing views of each others way of life. Their forming friendship and affection catches the eyes of many who wish to do harm to them. As well as exposing many old secrets after centuries upon centuries of concealment. Angel!Nowaki Demon!Hiroki

Akihiko read through an old tattered journal. One of the many he kept hidden inside of his room at the Usami manor. After realizing someone read his personal words, he added extra security to his closet. He never found out who knew his secrets. Although, his family knew of his secret affair. His father made sure no one knew about it. The demon general's son falling for an angel was unheard of. Fuyuhiko brought up his shortcomings in the lover department. He had an abundance of wives, well lovers who wanted his money and favor. Akihiko made his mark when he killed off most of his bastard children. None of them held any power against him and Fuyuhiko knew this fact. Even Haruhiko killed his own fair share of those ignorant demons.

They didn't learn their lesson.

If anything, the weakest tried hiding behind their mothers. Their sniveling whimpers reached Akihiko's ears. Most were all talk but no action, thinking he wouldn't bother with them. Those demonesses pushed them ahead of their bodies in shame. Their children had to have inherited the Usami power. They couldn't hide behind their mothers like children. The older women had the mentality as his mother. Leaving their offspring to fend for themselves. Their affection was limited if not void.

The newest young wives begged for his mercy but demons never refused a battle. It brought on shame if he refused. He wasn't a weak hearted demon anymore. So many tests throughout his life hardened it. So he had no compassion for the pleas of those demons mothers. They raised their sons in the worst way. Spoiling them into thinking they were as powerful as the true Usami sons. The fact they were recognized didn't guarantee them any power.

They turned into such weak demons. A shame to his blood and lineage. Not worth a portion of his true power. Yet, his father continued on taking more wives and bearing more spoiled children than he could remember naming. His shining glowing red eyes was one of their last images.

His claws touched the fragile pages, trying not to rip through them. Pages were ripped. Old blood soaked through some of the pages. Tainting their once white pages into a light brown color. He could had transferred his words onto a new journal but this was a gift. Takahiro gave it to him and he held it close to him. Despite their years apart, he held onto his feelings, thinking Takahiro might change his mind. The pages tied with simple string in three holes which were falling apart. His purple eyes took in all of the damage this journal received throughout the years.

He had not written in it. Years had passed since his last sentence. Tears mixed into the ink. His eyes forever dry unless he encountered the angel again. Still holding onto his hope, he didn't want to get killed before his reunion happened. He had a feeling Takahiro stopped coming down to Earth. His familiar aura was non-existent in the area he explored but it didn't stop him from searching for him.

He remembered the weak angel who managed to shoot an arrow to his chest. His hand hovered over the puncture would concealed by his clothing. Dark aura obscured the pure energy which lingered in his wound. He couldn't touch the area on his own. Someone else had to check it and suck out the aura before it spread through his body. He could talk with Hiroki about this issue. The demon had some healing remedies from his father and wouldn't ask questions. Although, he knew the demon avoided him like the plague. One of these days, he had to corner him around something to talk to him.

He knew he couldn't let his guard down in such a tumultuous place. His home gave him no remote safety and the safe area was his closet. Keeping quiet and not voicing his thoughts helped keep him safe. Liars surrounded his home and on the outside. His father's title made him a prime target for those wanting higher status. He resorted to trusting Haruhiko at times, the demon had his same sense of pride. They didn't want to get defeated through some weak demon. So they gave hints to each other through motions of the head. They didn't talk to each often so they used this method.

His eyes narrowed when he read the final passages. It was the last day he had any interaction with Takahiro. The one being in this world who captured his heart. Never forgetting about the taste of his lips and the smell of his hair. His warmth and his kindness. The sound of his clear voice which made his heart skip a beat. He didn't forget about the betrayal and disgust etched on his face.

"Takahiro.." Whispering his name, Akihiko pressed his lips against the pages. "If only you didn't see my feelings as unclean..." He held the pages close to his heart and he closed his eyes. He let out a deep breath as he kept his senses on overload. "I would had made you so happy. All my thoughts revolved around you."

* * *

_Takahiro's healing powers oozed through his hands and entered the cup. A bright light shined. It dulled seconds later as he tested the medical serum. He peeked out his tongue and dipped it in the liquid. Perfection. The off flavor disguised any of his lingering healing aura. He gathered some amusement at the expressions on the human's faces when he gave them his brew. All the herbs did their part in healing the person. His aura added a deeper element which sped up the recovery._

_"Healer?" Came a timid voice from behind his body._

_Takahiro turned to the human with a tender smile. "Yes?" He handed her the cup and she stared down at the murky green liquid. Clear disgust on her face._

_"Um...will this really make me better?" She sniffed the contents and her face scrunched up._

_Takahiro placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Yes, your chest pain should be gone. Drink all of this and then go to sleep. Cover your chest with your blanket and try not to get a chill." Peeking over his shoulder, he saw a pair of purple eyes looking in through the window. "I will come back tomorrow to check up on you, okay?"_

_She nodded her head as she downed the liquid. "Yes, sir." She gagged at the drink but settled herself in her bed._

_Takahiro excused himself. He took one step outside as Akihiko pulled him into his arms. No fear formed in Takahiro's body. He felt safe with this demon. Akihiko treated him with tenderness and respect. He even helped keep away wayward demons from the village he was assigned to help. The demon turned into a bodyguard for him. Not that he asked him in the first place._

_Akihiko nuzzled his face into the crook of Takahiro's neck. Inhaling his essence. This caused Takahiro to giggle at his attention. It pleased him. He loved making Takahiro smile. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that sweet smile. He never imagined someone would affect him in such a matter. Although, this angel made himself different from the rest. He didn't judge him right off the bat. In fact, Takahiro engaged in conversation with him._

_Takhiro's kind nature had captured his attention. Their constant talks made Akihiko's afternoons. The one time Takahiro had free after he finished his healing duty in the villages. He noticed some human women had their eye on Takahiro. One in particular was a farmhand's daughter who made any excuse to talk to the angel. Her giggling and the audacity on touching Takahiro enraged the demon. This sparked his jealous streak. All he wanted to do was to dispose of the girl. But he didn't want Takahiro to hate him._

_He painted a nice image of a tamed demon just so Takahiro didn't leave him. A few slips happened where he slayed light creatures. Takahiro told him his open disagreement. His disappointment made Akihiko's skin crawl. He changed his habits and his mannerisms for this angel. He killed no creatures. This pleased Takahiro which made him comfortable around him._

_Although, Takahiro feared rough demons who might harm his humans. He gave the okay on his fights with any dark creatures. This change in his approval in killing demons confused Akihiko. He didn't question his love._

_"Usagi-chan you made it!" Takahiro giggled when Akihiko's hair tickled the base of his neck. "I thought you were busy for the rest of the week?"_

_"I finished what I had to do." Akihiko told him. "We can meet each other for the rest of the month."_

_"That's great news!"_

_Akihiko pulled Takahiro into the forest and they hid behind the trees. "Do you want to go straight to the base of the mountain or toward the hot springs?"_

_"The mountain side is fine with me." Takahiro perked up as he got out of Akihiko's embrace. He hooked his hand around Akihiko's arm. "I hear the flowers are looking beautiful this season."_

_Takahiro laughed as he leaned against Akihiko's chest. His dark locks brushed against the demon's nose. Fluttering developed in Akihiko's body as his arms enveloped Takahiro's body to his own. The fact Takahiro had no clue of his love for him, crushed his spirit. He made fun of humans on this aspect of their lives. When it wasn't reciprocated, falling in love was an awful experience. Now that he experienced it, the feelings of those humans made a lot more sense._

_He didn't understand monogamous relationships before he fell in love. In Hell, demons had multiple partners for pleasure or the rare occasional love development. He could imagine himself remaining loyal to Takahiro for the rest of his existence._

_Pressing his nose on Takahiro's shoulder, he brushed his lips against his skin. Of course, Takahiro didn't notice the contact. He didn't realize a lot of his surroundings._

_"You are always so warm!" Takahiro chirped, turning around, he nuzzled his face against Akihiko's body. "Is there steam when you go into a river?"_

_Akihiko amused Takahiro's question. "Not at all," He got close to his face and caressed his cheek with his deadly claws. "I simply cool down a little bit but I still remain warm._

_Takahiro grinned, "You know I was only teasing right?"_

_"Yes, I know." Akihiko smiled._

_Takahiro's lips were so close._

_"Usagi-chan?" Takahiro tilted his head. "Do you remember Manami-san?"_

_Akihiko tensed but kept his face relaxed. "Of course, she is always following you around like a lost puppy. It seems she doesn't have her head into working in the fields with her father."_

_"Usagi-chan!" Takahiro chuckled, he quieted down when he confessed to the demon. "Well...she said that she is in love with me."_

_Akihiko's claws stiffened as he held back his jealousy. "Oh really?" Placing his arms on his sides, he inquired. "I thought it was forbidden for you to get into relationships with humans?"_

_"They are forbidden." Takahiro bit his lip. "But I didn't reject her. I didn't want to break her heart. I'm almost done with that village and I will leave when the week is over. She'll forget about me soon enough."_

_Akihiko shook his head. "Reject her. She will follow you to the next village."_

_"You think so?"_

_"Yes." Akihiko pressed Takahiro's body close to his own. "You have to be blunt. She won't get the hint if you stay silent." He gritted his teeth, he should have confessed long ago. Now, women were telling Takahiro they were in love with him._

_Takahiro sighed. "But she's so nice..."_

_"Takahiro." Akihiko stared into his eyes. "You can't have that girl longing for you. She will be hurt in the end when you don't return." And it left room for him to keep Takahiro to himself._

_"You're right..." He pushed back his bangs from his face. "I'll tell her tomorrow."_

_"Good." Akihiko smirked in victory._

_No women would keep Takahiro away from him._

_Takahiro bit his lip as he looked away. "It's just odd to me.."_

_"What's odd?" Akihiko inquired._

_Takahiro placed his hands on Akihiko's shoulders. "The fact anyone could fall in love with me. I don't show any indication that I am interested in anyone. I only go to these villages to do my job and then leave when everything is done."_

_Akihiko nodded his head as his eyes focused on Takahiro's plump pink lips. Half listening as the urge to kiss him resurfaced. Giving into the temptation, he pressed their lips together._

_This silenced anything else Takahiro wanted to tell him._

_Akihiko smiled. His arms wrapped around Takahiro's frozen frame and kept him from moving away from him. His lips tasted better than he imagined. His heart soared and he closed his eyes. Relishing in the warmness in between their lips._

_The contact continued on. Akihiko took Takahiro's lack of resistance as a sign of matching his feelings. He pressed their bodies together. They fell down onto the grass as Akihiko deepened their kiss. Warm butterflies filled his stomach. It felt better than he expected. He had kissed plenty of demons in his lifetime, none of them compared to Takahiro._

_His hands wandered down Takahiro's sides. Caressing his exposed skin with his dangerous claws in a gentle matter. He rubbed their hips together. His cock hardening in his slacks and he let out a groan in between their kisses._

_He couldn't wait to join their bodies together._

_Takahiro pushed him off of him and scampered backwards. The demon landed on his back, he sat up and almost asked Takahiro what happened. He remained silent when he saw the tears in his eyes and the terrified expression on his face._

_He messed up._

_Takahiro cried. "Why?! Why did you do that?!" He hiccuped as he stood on his shaky legs. "I-I hate you! You ruined me!" His wings expanded on his back as he took flight._

_Akihiko tried to follow him but Takahiro had made it past the clouds. The rain soon followed. Water trickled down his face, obscuring the tears that surfaced._

* * *

"Master Akihiko?"

Akihiko snapped out of his reverie. His eyes glowed red as he turned to the door and saw one of the staff peeking into the room. "What do you want?" The demoness flinched back. "Well? Did something slice out your tongue? I will cut it out for you if you don't answer."

"N-No...Lord Usami requires your presence." She uttered quick before she moved out of the way of the door. Just in time before the door blasted off the hinges and hit the wall across the hall.

Her eyes widened when she saw the flames licking the corners of the door. The bright red flame engulfed the material in flames moments later. She knew the advice from the other workers came in handy. The oldest sons didn't care for weak demons like herself. When there were powerful demons, they gave them some form of respect. Otherwise, they didn't see them in a bright light.

She managed to gaze at the ratted old journal on Akihiko's chest. Through her centuries working for this family, she never saw this journal. The powerful demon must had hidden it from his family. Pushing her hair back, she looked inside of the room. Terror passed through her body when she saw those killer bright red eyes.

"Tell him I will arrive shortly." Akihiko stated. He didn't apologize as the demoness ran down the hall in fear.

Getting up from his bed, he went straight to his closet. Moving his hand on top of the doors, they opened. He placed the journal on top of the other journals he kept hidden. Giving the cover a quick caress of his hand, he closed the doors. Another hover of his hand placed a protective barrier around the whole area.

He didn't need any servants trying to divulge his secrets for profit.

Leaving the room, he went toward the area where his father always resided. A separate area he lived and enjoyed the company of his many lovers. His eyes went toward Haruhiko's form. The ax he carried was covered in blood. It was embedded on the wall of the door.

The dead body of another Usami bastard laid on the floor beneath Haruhiko's feet. Haruhiko wiped his shoes on the body without a care.

"Another one?"

Haruhiko nodded his head, his glasses gleam to obscure the blood lust in his eyes.

"Idiotic whelps."

* * *

Takahiro remained inside of the purified water in Heaven, scrubbing the non-existent dirt from his body. His body didn't shrivel from the water. Sections of his pure white skin was raw. A choked sob escaped his lips as his body tingled. The recollection of that day brought him into a deep depression. Something he had not felt in centuries.

Touching his lips with his fingertips, a shiver went through his spine. He remembered Akihiko's passionate kiss. His hands touching his body, the feeling of his body on top of his own. Pressing him against the grass. He remembered the smell of the grass and the tranquil atmosphere.

It took all of his strength to push him off. Screaming his head off, he ran away from Akihiko. He didn't look back. And so, he forgo his passage back down to Earth. Tutoring new angels with his own hidden precautions. He hid that sinful day inside of his mind.

The elders didn't question him. They let him remain in Heaven due to his new conditions in tutoring any angel given to him. Although, Takahiro had a feeling they knew everything. They kept it to themselves. This leveled up his nervousness in hiding this incident from everyone.

"Why?" Takahiro whimpered as he lowered himself down into the water. "Why couldn't he have targeted someone else?"

Reaching his hand down in the water to scrub his thighs, his lower body reacted.

Snatching his hand back, Takahiro gritted his teeth. He submerged himself in the water, gripping his arms around him.

He needed someone to wipe his mind from that nightmare.

TBC


	9. The mysterious trunk...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons and angels AU: A meeting between two different individuals changes many long standing views of each others way of life. Their forming friendship and affection catches the eyes of many who wish to do harm to them. As well as exposing many old secrets after centuries upon centuries of concealment. Angel!Nowaki Demon!Hiroki

Hiroki stopped on his path to his home. He peeked over his shoulder in disinterest, knowing full well of the demon's identity. Akihiko appeared through the shadows he just walked through. His silver hair caked in with blood. Some remnants remained fresh on his flawless face. When they were younger, Akihiko didn't wash the blood off for an extended amount of time. It served as a warning to other demons to not challenge him. Also, Akihiko had bouts of laziness and didn't bother himself in scrubbing himself off. The stench made Hiroki want to bolt away from him. It made him sick.

Akihiko always had a battle down in Hell. There wasn't a day when Hiroki didn't hear Akihiko killed another demon who asked for a duel. Hiroki never thought on challenging his old friend. He wanted to stay alive. His power wasn't too weak but these battles went toward the death of either opponent. He still held Akihiko in some regard. Their past memories came into his thoughts. Old nostalgia hit him whenever he caught sight of him.

Akihiko's beautiful silver hair singled him out for the wrong reasons. Many thought he had some light creature blood to produce his silver hair. Almost no one down in the fiery depths had this hair color. Rumors spread like wildfire. Fuyuhiko Usami did nothing to quench the gossip. The same went toward the reasons of Haruko Usami's demise.

Well, until they all caught a glimpse of the rouge Akimi Usami. She left after Akihiko got old enough to defend himself. Her long silver hair was stained red at the tips, some sections extended up to the middle of her back. She pulled it back to place those strands away from her face. Giving her a distinct indicator that she lost no battles despite abandoning her spouse. Her cold heart was known throughout all of the sectors.

No wonder Akihiko didn't have compassion for many things.

"Akihiko." Hiroki took a step back.

"Hiroki."

Hiroki connected eyes with Akihiko. Dark purple clashed with bright amber. No animosity presented between their body language but their guards remained up. Hiroki's hand clenched into fists. Akihiko's curled around the handle of his blade. Their power went up to show their growing strength. This scared off any wandering demons who spied on them.

A group of demons scattered away from their area. Some tripped on their feet and got up to jump down the hills. Akihiko rolled his eyes, removing his hand from his sword. Hiroki kept up his guard. His body language relaxed but he kept up his demeanor. He didn't know what mood Akihiko was in.

"What do you want?" Inquired Hiroki, he observed Akihiko's body for any signs of an attack. "Father told me you were asking for me."

Akihiko tipped his head in confirmation. "Yes," He took a step closer to Hiroki. "We need to talk."

"We  _are_  talking."

Akihiko grabbed the front of Hiroki's shirt and pulled him close. "Where have you been hiding?" Their noses touched, Hiroki's nose wrinkled at the disgusting stench coming from Akihiko's mouth.

Hiroki glared at him, "You are  _no one_  to ask where I go. Not even my father asks me such a question."

Akihiko smirked as he peeked at Hiroki's hair. "Why don't I tell him you are fooling around with a human?" Hiroki scoffed, pushing Akihiko away from him. "That's it isn't it? You are seeing a human instead of torturing them." He picked off a petal from Hiroki's hair, presenting it to his face. "You know the consequences for fucking a human."

Hiroki gritted his teeth. "I don't have to  _explain_  myself to you. You are the one who wanted to leave Hell for an angel and he rejected your sorry ass." Akihiko's eyes glowed bright red. "Don't give me those eyes. You have no right to judge my choices." He ruffled his hair and petals fell onto the burning floor. "I don't give a fuck. I stopped giving a fuck years ago."

Akihiko grabbed Hiroki's arm and dug his fingers into his flesh. "You don't know what you are getting into. You can never stay on Earth with this human. Those angels will come down and stop you. They might even kill you and behead you while they are at it."

Hiroki didn't flinch as Akihiko's sharp nails drew blood. "And how will they find out? Don't tell me you will break whatever bond we have to tell them. Are you so spiteful?"

"It's not to spite you."

"Then?"

Akihiko glared at him. "I am trying to protect you. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into."

"Yeah fucking right. You only know through the stories around these parts." Hiroki snarled. "I actually have a source to tell me the truth. He already dispelled half of the shit we were told as younglings!" Hiroki's eyes widened at his slip up. He ripped Akihiko's claws from his arm and gritted his teeth at the pain.

"You..." Akihiko let out a dead laugh. "An angel? You have to be kidding me." He smirked. "He will betray you just like the rest of them."

Hiroki rubbed his arm, trying to stop the bleeding. "At least he knows about the real world and his surroundings." He remembered Nowaki's embrace as he confided everything that happened weeks ago. "He trusts me completely. The fact he is angel doesn't come into my mind. He is just my friend."

Akihiko scoffed, a streak of annoyance filled his body. "And what  _we_  had wasn't friendship?" He never voiced it but he thought Hiroki was the closest thing he had for friendship.

Hiroki shook his head. "No. You know it wasn't close, I didn't trust you with my secrets. We only stayed near each other because of the high inner circles. At one time, I did consider you my friend. I thought you were different than everyone else in his place."

"And yet, you didn't spread what happened to me." Akihiko crossed his arms over his chest. "This lack of a bond could have made you tell everyone."

"Of course not," Hiroki glared at him. "It wasn't my secret to tell." He took a few steps back. "And just so you know, if I ever hear about you injuring him again. I will come after you."

Akihiko realized it was one of the angels he encountered the other day. "That little mousy thing is your _lover_?" He frowned. "You could do so much better. Much better."

Hiroki snapped. "What the fuck? No. Not him."

Akihiko noticed Hiroki didn't deny the use of lover. Interesting. "The blue eyed one?" Hiroki didn't answer but narrowed his eyes at him. "I see." He smirked. "He can handle himself. He managed to fight me off without a problem. If I encounter him again, I  _will_  fight him."

Hiroki gave him one last dirty look before he left the area. Akihiko watched him run off in amusement, remained in his spot. It amused him, even Hiroki fell for the wiles of the angels. Hiroki's angel wasn't bad looking. A handsome one. His eyes showed no ignorance of the world. Experienced but still young enough to misunderstand anything he didn't understand. He didn't hesitate in fighting him in the new angel's place.

He wiped the blood from his face, licking the residue from his fingertips. Left pondering about what this angel did to gain Hiroki's trust in such a small amount of time.

* * *

"I'm back."

Hiroki entered his home and closed the door behind him. The barriers came into place as he walked through the halls toward his room. He caught onto some miscellaneous objects littering the floor. There were old clothing and books piled up outside of his father's room. He walked near the door and peeked inside. His father hauled his old armor in his arms and turned around. They stared at each other. Hiroki gave a slight wave, his father nodded his head in greeting.

"I didn't think you would come back soon." Soshi carried the armor out of the door and dumped it near the books.

"I am pretty tired. So I will be going to sleep when I return to my room." Hiroki inquired. "Since when do you clean your room?" He noticed his father's hair wasn't held back for once.

Soshi added more armor out of the door. "I am looking for something through all of this mess."

"Which is?"

Soshi stopped near Hiroki. "Your mother's trunk."

Hiroki's eyes widened. "You never take that thing out in the open. You hid it away from me ever since I was a brat. Why are you taking it out now?" He tried to keep any excitement out of his voice but he failed. "Can I see through the contents?"

Soshi hid his slight smile as he turned around and got more books in his arms. "Yes. Your mother would have wanted you to look." He gripped the books to his chest. "I should had shown it to you decades ago. Her scent remains on everything."

This caught Hiroki's attention as he entered his father's room. "Now, I really want to know what is in there. I'll help you sort through all of this crap."

Soshi didn't deny Hiroki's help as he moved more objects around. They kept at it for a while until they unearthed a medium sized trunk. Flowers carved on the wood. An aura surrounded the object. Soshi got in Hiroki's way as he handled the trunk. He took it out of the hiding place and put it on the ground. His hand hovered over it and the aura dispersed into nothing.

Hiroki's hand itched toward the old trunk but he hesitated. He watched his father open it. Flipping it open, the aroma of roses filled the whole room. The smell of blood disappeared. Hiroki noticed the fond smile on his stern father's face. It was obvious his mind wandered inside of his memories. Hiroki imagined he was thinking about the wonderful times he had with his mother. Now that he got whiff of his mother's scent, a sense of remembrance filled his body.

Dressed filled up half of the chest. White and shimmery. Intricate designs sown in to distinguish every single gown. One of them stood out in particular from all of the rest. The one in the top which seemed see through. He grabbed it and was surprised at the delicate material.

Hiroki held the sheer white gown to his nose and inhaled her scent. He closed his eyes and tried to gain any memory of her. Careful not to stain it with the wounds he had in his arm. He didn't want to taint her dress with his blood. He endangered the dress with his sharp nails alone. There were gold threads going through the dress. There was a cinch underneath her chest area.

Soshi noticed his pondering face when he stated. "It was her pregnancy dress. The rest of them are the usual styles she wore back then when I met her."

"Oh."

Soshi sat on the ground, his claws touching the trunk with tenderness. "Fuyumi...always wanted you to grow up in a safe environment." He tossed his hair over his shoulder. "We both knew it was impossible. When she was pregnant with you...she risked those months in hiding away. She got caught a week after you were born."

Hiroki nuzzled his face into the dress. "What exactly was she?" Soshi turned to him with no expression on his face. "There is no way she was a demon...these clothes..." He stared down at the fragile fabric. "They would rip through the hardships we experience down here in Hell."

"You're right." Soshi took out a jeweled comb and touched the ridges. "Fuyumi wasn't a dark creature. Her kind heart wouldn't had survived in this environment. She always gave anyone a second chance." His fingers curled around the comb. "She was patient with my uncontrolled instincts when we were young."

Hiroki frowned. "You didn't answer me. What was she?"

Soshi sighed. "You're not ready to know."

"Yes, I am!" Hiroki exclaimed as he controlled himself to not rip through the dress in his arms. "I don't know anything about her other than her name and her appearance. That's it. I have a right to know."

Soshi gave a curt answer. "She's one of the _purest_  beings in this world." Hiroki's eyes widened, he got the hint. He couldn't even whisper the word in Hell. "She loved you deeply."

"You mean I'm...a  _halfling_?" Hiroki uttered. "But I'm not weak. How is that possible?" He touched his horns and they felt solid under his fingertips.

"You got the luck of the draw." Soshi told him as he stared at the black circle around Hiroki's neck. "The only reason you even look like a demon is because of that concealment charm she placed on you. She sacrificed herself so you could come down here with me."

"Then, I don't look like this?"

"No. I was there when your mother delivered you in our safe haven. You didn't look anything like this form in front of you." He explained. "You lacked the horns and the tail. Your under eye area, bold black. Your wings...were not bat like. These powers that you have were passed on through me. The characteristics you have shown were according to the charm your mother placed on you. It mimicked how demons acted and reacted to anything."

Hiroki put the gown back into the trunk before he shredded it in his anger. "And why didn't you tell me all of this?! Most of my life I wondered why I developed differently from everyone else."

Soshi flicked Hiroki on the forehead. "This reaction."

"Because you hid this from me!" Hiroki rubbed his forehead. "You could had told me when I was a kid."

"I was protecting you." Soshi glared at him. "Your mother took the brunt of our union and I made it a mission to make sure you were alive. I couldn't live on Earth to raise you with the peace she wanted for you. Centuries of absence doesn't go unnoticed in Hell."

"No one knew about this?"

Soshi shook his head. "Not even the Usami family knows about this secret. Although, it didn't stop the rumors on her identity."

Hiroki sighed. "You know those rumors never stopped right?"

"Your power shut them up." Soshi said. "And the Usami family have more juicy secrets that keep getting leaked out. Demons always want to push down that family down. Not that rumors would hurt their reputation. I suspect Usami's staff are getting frustrated with the lack of respect they receive on behalf of the family."

Hiroki scoffed. "They are bound due to the lost bets they had with Fuyuhiko Usami. Warning have gone around to never gamble with him and none of them listened. If they want to leave, they can run off to another sector."

"The seals on their wrists prevent it." Soshi pointed out as he noticed the bruising on Hiroki's arm. "Where did you get those?"

Hiroki covered them with his hand as he cursed under his breath, "Earlier, I ran into Akihiko. He got me when I was about to leave."

Soshi narrowed his eyes. "And why would he grab you in such a matter?"

"He found out about something. I stupidly left something on me which revealed something."

"You mean the hiding place at the cherry blossom tree."

Hiroki snapped his head and stared at his father in shock. "You know about this place?!"

Soshi told him. "Your mother hid there when she was pregnant with you. I also suspected you were going there for months now. The blossoms in your hair, the lingering smell of the grass. I also got a hint of pine needles from someone else. Possibly the person you were meeting. It wasn't hard to figure out."

Hiroki played with his fingers. "And you are not pissed at me for hiding this from you?"

"No, just be careful." Soshi told him. "I didn't take precautions with your mother and now I don't know where she is located. Her punishment took her away from me." Hiroki took out a rose crystal necklace. "Trust me. I experienced the wrath of those who claim they are justice. The hypocrisy between those beings is staggering to believe. Yet, we get the stigma of evil."

"I know. I...sort of understand how you held onto mother's memory so strongly." Hiroki tied the necklace and it laid on his chest. "Humans interpretations of angels are off the mark. Most of them are not as pure minded as they expect."

"Is the person you are meeting a human?"

"No."

Soshi tilted his head. "This person is just like your mother? Right?"

Hiroki nodded his head. "His name is Nowaki."

Soshi chuckled. "It seems we both love fell for someone beyond our reach."

Hiroki frowned. "I am not in love with him."

Soshi arched a brow. "You have the face of someone in love." Hiroki's face went scarlet, he turned his face away.

"It..can't be true."

Soshi's lips curled up into a small smile. He patted Hiroki's shoulder and watched the stages of acceptance before his eyes.

* * *

In the highest mountains, the fog set into the sunrise. The thickness blocked any light from entering through and illuminate anything it concealed. Thick cells littered the area. Some small, others accommodated the prisoner enough. Strong bonds and chains kept one exit from opening. Cries and moaning filled the air. The putrid smell of the chains burning the skin was a lingering odor. This happened from struggling in the chains which held the prisoners. Immobilizing them enough that they might move around to gain some comfort. Older ones knew how much to move without activating the spell.

A pair of vibrant green eyes stared out the small window of the door. Listening at the sounds of nature. Carrying in messages from the outside world, she took in a deep breath. Pink flower petals entered and landed in front of her bound legs. A smile appeared on her chapped lips. She relaxed into the crevice in the wall, her tangled brown curls spread all around her body. Scars littered her wrists from the beginning of her concealment. She panicked and regretted making herself known.

The pain was unbearable.

Throughout the centuries, the angels loosened the binds on her arms and her legs The chains remained on her wings. She couldn't break out without taking flight. Not that she could use them to fly away. Their lack of use made them useless to her.

Her solace was knowing her husband and her son were safe. The angels in Heaven didn't know their true identities. All they knew was her involvement with a demon and she bore him a child. They never got an image of her child's appearance. Her husband's name and rank was wracked in mystery. After so many centuries in this cell, she still had angels coming to interrogate her. The silence coming only angered them.

She stopped caring about those in Heaven. They helped those who elevated their positions up a notch.

Her concealment was permanent unless someone came to break her out. She wasn't going to reveal her family and get them slaughtered. In spite of the fact that her husband was a high ranking warrior, he couldn't handle a whole army of angels. Hundreds of them attacking him all at once.

She wondered about the power of their child. He might had inherited his father's abilities and got trained well. She asked Soshi to care for him, he assured her without a doubt. His honesty showed in his eyes as he walked into the gates with their child in his arms. Hiroki's cries echoed in her ears. Crying for the warm chest of his mother and her sweet voice lulling him to sleep.

The voice that carried through the wind gave her another report. She had learned to tune her mind through nature. The last place she resided provided a variety of voices which returned with news. In recent months, she had the shock of her life. Her son found her place. She gathered a description and he looked so much like his father.

"My son..." She croaked. "I'm so happy you are  _still_  okay." Closing her eyes, she let out a shaky sigh of relief.

* * *

The next time Hiroki caught up with Nowaki, his father's words stayed in his mind. He didn't believe he was in love with Nowaki. There was still a form of denial coming from him. Their comfort level was high but he didn't have the deep sense of longing his father had for his mother. Although, his separation from her was through intervention. Distance made the heart grow fonder after all.

He gulped. Maybe he did have feelings.

This surprised him.

His fingers caressed the rose crystal. It brought him the comfort that the lake provided for him. His mother's scent stuck with the rope and the crystal. It was like he brought his mother around with him. Just like how his father's scent stuck with the bag he carried along with him everywhere.

The moment Nowaki came into view with his warm smile. Hiroki's chest warmed up. He relaxed in Nowaki's arms when he embraced him. His senses on overload. His hands wrapped around Nowaki's body, holding him a tad tight. He snapped out of it when Nowaki tried to get out of his arms. A nervous chuckle. Nowaki's smile just grew bigger. Hiroki calmed down from his slight panic. Nowaki waited a long time for him to return the hug gesture.

They exchanged pleasantries as Nowaki hid his wings. Hiroki placed his bag onto the grass and was careful not to step on it like last time. Sitting near the lake, Nowaki laid his head on Hiroki's lap.

Nowaki stared up at the crystal. "Well this is new," He reached out his hand and caressed the stone. "Where did this come from?"

Hiroki smiled lightly. "This is my mother's necklace. I...recently found it when my father found her trunk."

"It's beautiful, Hiro-san. Let me get a closer look at it." Nowaki sat up just in time before a wave of blossoms fell on Hiroki's head. He hid his smile behind his hand.

"Every single time! Why does this happen to me?!" Hiroki bellowed as he shook his head and a good portion floated onto his jeans. "Why don't they ever fall on you?!'

Nowaki doubled over as his laughter traveled through the vicinity of the lake.

TBC


	10. Blissful contact...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons and angels AU: A meeting between two different individuals changes many long standing views of each others way of life. Their forming friendship and affection catches the eyes of many who wish to do harm to them. As well as exposing many old secrets after centuries upon centuries of concealment. Angel!Nowaki Demon!Hiroki

Hiroki tinkered with his mother's necklace, careful not to scratch the crystal with his sharp nails. He knew first hand that a little pressure broke any material. Although, he held himself back now that he entered the environment of the lake. The serene atmosphere didn't change. When he entered this place, his problems from Hell disappeared. He relaxed and prepared himself toward the moment he had to go back to his home. Knowing his mother settled here during her last year of freedom made him reflect. She sacrificed everything when she developed a relationship with his father and gave birth to him.

Nowaki did the same thing to some extent. Although, it wasn't apparent if he held such strong feelings for him. However, he risked his own life through each visit he made when he came down to Earth. Mixed in between his missions to the villages in the area. Their interactions in the lake were masked through the barrier which surrounded the area. They could always live in this place and never return to their homes. Yet, that was impossible. He had his life back with his father who didn't venture onto Earth for any reason. Nowaki still had to report back up to Heaven whenever he finished his job.

Unless they both disregarded everything and live a fugitive. No. That wasn't a life worth living. It wouldn't benefit the both of them in the long run. They needed true freedom to wander around the Earth. Half the time, they brought each other trinkets from different parts of the world. Although, Hiroki had to always keep an eye behind his back whenever he left the gates. At times, the angels overstepped their ground to hurt demons on the basis of amusement or a demon stared at them the wrong way.

Laying back on the grass, Hiroki glared at the cherry blossom tree. The glaring contrast of the pink tints hurt his eyes but it reminded him of the rose crystal on his neck. It had not burst another set of petals onto him. Usually, it happened when Nowaki was near him or the moment he left back to Hell. He wondered if the tree had something against him. Maybe there was something in the tree that wanted Nowaki and tried to push him away. But, throwing petals at him was a lousy way to get rid of him.

Those petals left remainders on his body when he left the area. Nowaki was the one who tried brushing them off of his body but many of them still clung to his body.

Yet, the crystal had developed a dim glow which stayed with him throughout his stay. His mother stayed at this lake so it might had attuned to her signature. Ever since he wore it, the tree had stopped releasing any petals. They fell one by one like a normal tree. It was still odd that it had a limitless supply. He didn't catch the tree in a bare state.

Hiroki blew upward just so his bangs moved away from his face. He felt lazy. Having stayed at the lake for a few days, he had no desire to move from his spot. He felt no remote hunger. He ate some fruit and it filled him more than the souls that demons ate in Hell. Something that never satisfied him and left him hungry. The soft grass in between the roots of the tree provided enough comfort so he went in and out of sleep. Much softer than his bed back home. His tail curled over his chest to prevent getting squished.

The moment Nowaki came through the barrier, animals came around more frequently. Then again, it happened when Hiroki fell in his deep slumbers and birds perched on his horns. He didn't swat them away. They left on their own or flew up on the branches on the tree. The bigger animals stuck around and drank the water at the lake. Their body language presented their comfort level. Nowaki's pure aura comforted everyone who came near him.

The neutral atmosphere at the lake added extra security for the inhabitants.

Hiroki curled his fingers around the rose crystal. He inhaled deep. To his surprise, there was no lingering smell of cherry blossoms. The thick strong string used to keep it around his neck had his mother's scent embedded through the material.

He never expected his mother's prominent scent was roses. From her background, he didn't imagine any other scent coming from her. Angels had to smell very nice in his opinion. His father had soot clinging to him. He never washed away enough to reveal his true scent. It was mostly enough to wash away the blood from himself. Hiroki had no idea what he really smelled like. For some reason, he thought he might have earthy scents.

"Hiro-san!" Nowaki exclaimed from a distance and Hiroki heard him coming closer.

Hiroki sat up and watched Nowaki running across the field toward the tree. He had his usual smile on his face, his wings hidden from view. Hiroki's eyebrow twitched when he saw the old robe Nowaki insisted on wearing. There were some holes on the bottom and the tie which held the robe together was falling apart.

Today was the day that he ripped that offensive cloth apart with his claws.

* * *

Nowaki ran up to Hiroki while Hiroki got up on his feet. He did't hesitate as he held him tight in his arms. Lifting him off of the ground, he twirled him around. After so many weeks without him, Nowaki needed to hold Hiroki in his arms. Hiroki had long since given up in pushing him away from hugging him. He meant no harm at all and he made sure to present it on his smiling face. Afterwards, they cuddled but Nowaki assumed Hiroki let him just so he wouldn't complain about the lack of affection. He was a hugging type. It seemed Hiroki got the hint and didn't stop him.

Hiroki gripped onto Nowaki's robe so he wouldn't pierce his skin from the sudden action. His nails pierced through the material due to the pressure. Slight rips happened, Hiroki almost grinned at the ripping material. The sound was light so Nowaki wouldn't had noticed anything was off. There were finger sized holes but it was a start. They had a stash of clothes behind the tree so they didn't walk around nude all the time.

Nowaki had noticed Hiroki's slight smirk and he peeked down at his body. He noticed Hiroki's claws had gripped too hard and ripped through his robe. Not holding it against Hiroki. He had grabbed onto him out of nowhere, Hiroki had to hold onto something.

Nowaki placed Hiroki down onto his feet but kept his arms around him. "I'm so glad to find you here. The last time I came here I think you left before I made it. Although, I had to leave quick since I was helping someone gather some materials down here."

Hiroki shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure. Although, I have stayed here for the last few days. Nothing else has happened except birds keep getting on me when I go to sleep. The fact I rarely have to eat had me just sleeping around this area. The grass is pretty soft."

"It's good that you got a lot of sleep. I know you don't go to sleep when you go back home. Your face looks a lot more rested today." Nowaki sniffed around Hiroki with curious eyes. "Since when do you smell like roses? I'm not complaining but this is a nice surprise."

Hiroki presented Nowaki with the necklace. "This has mother's scent on it, well the thick string that makes the necklace smells like her. I'm surprised my father let me walk away with this thing. He had her trunk hidden in between all of his old possessions."

"Maybe he saw how much you loved it." Nowaki said as he smoothed down Hiroki's hair.

"I'm surprised that you didn't notice this on our last visit." Hiroki arched a brow.

"Well..." Nowaki scratched the back of his neck. "I wasn't paying attention to what you smelled like."

Hiroki lightly patted Nowaki's shoulder. "Then what got your attention? I am practically a walking rose bush. Although, I add dirt all over me before I go through the gates though. It still doesn't cover everything."

"It certainly wasn't sniffing you." Nowaki laughed as he nuzzled Hiroki's cheek, his cheeks pinked as he kept his arms around Hiroki's frame. "I guess the smell wasn't as strong during the time we saw each other. Usually, you smell like grass and pine needles."

"Seriously?"

"Yup!" Nowaki confirmed. "What do I smell like?"

Hiroki pondered it before he answered. "You smell clean...with a hint of herbs."

Nowaki pouted. "I thought I would smell more interesting."

Hiroki rolled his eyes as Nowaki held him closer to his chest. "Well that's what you go. Deal with it."

"Boo..."

Hiroki's arms lay limp on his sizes as he peeked at Nowaki from the corner of his eyes. Every single time he watched him for a good amount of time, a fluttered developed in the pit of his stomach. Ever since he watched the courtship of some humans sometime ago, he thought about his overall feelings on Nowaki. After talking with his father about his mother, their relationship came overtime. They spent most of their time together and spent time away from each other in their respective worlds.

The distance between him and Nowaki made their interactions more meaningful. It wasn't like they stayed in the same place for long periods of time. Every single time they talked, they entered into the oddest topics which didn't bother Hiroki. He didn't like useless topics but his conversations with Nowaki ventured into those territories.

He sighed as he placed his head on Nowaki's chest. It took too much energy to keep his head up just to look at him. Maybe if he grew a few more inches or used his wings to float this wouldn't turn out into such a big issue. Nowaki's lips brushed against his cheek as Hiroki jumped. It wasn't too dramatic but he turned his attention toward Nowaki. He had a cheeky grin on his face.

Nowaki didn't press his lips against him but he wanted to do it again. From the shocked look on Hiroki's face, he wasn't expecting such a gesture. He got Hiroki used to him holding on to him but a kiss wasn't something he tried yet.

The action might make their relationship awkward. Yet, he had a deep longing to kiss Hiroki. He kept this to himself as he kept him clinging to him.

* * *

Hiroki got on his toes and wrapped his arms around Nowaki's neck. The angel stared down at him. Confusion evident in his features but he made no move on removing him from his body. His smaller frame molded against his broad chest. His nails raked through the slight long hair. Soft in his fingers. He wanted to continue on caressing Nowaki's hair. His hand stopped the movements, settling his hands on Nowaki's shoulders.

"Hiro-san? Is everything okay?" Nowaki inquired.

A moment of hesitation passed through Hiroki's mind. Going through with what he had in mind might damage their friendship or at the very least turn it awkward. Akihiko's failed attempts at romance caused another set of doubt. Yet, the revelation of his true identity. The product of love between a demon and an angel made his worries go away. Knowing more about his mother answered so many questions he had as a child. His parents found no fault in their relationship but outside sources broke them apart.

Releasing his hold on Nowaki's neck, he placed them on his chest. Clutching his robes, just to keep him from running away from him. The slight signs of affection appeared throughout their meetings. Nowaki trusted him and didn't see him for his outer appearance. Their comfort level went beyond anything Hiroki imagined. Half the time they held each other in the vulnerable position of their naked bodies.

His sharp nails went through the fabric. Causing large rips. Those were not repaired with simple threads from Earth. Nowaki would need to replace them before going back home. Unless he wanted to return back to Heaven in the buff.

Nowaki uttered. "Hiro-san?"

Screw it.

Hiroki gulped before pressing their lips together.

Nowaki's eyes widened. Blue eyes searched Hiroki's face for any indication of a joke. His hands frozen in midair, Hiroki's hold on his robes held him in his place. Not that he wanted to move away from the demon. His arms enclosed around the smaller body, holding him tight. Hiroki's hands squished in between their bodies. Those sharp nails scrapped his chest, not too hard. Nowaki opened his mouth to speak but Hiroki deepened their kiss. Their tongues mingled and Nowaki felt his heart accelerate. New bubbling sensations formed in his body and he let himself go.

Hiroki was surprised Nowaki reacted and happiness washed through him in waves. Akihiko's story disappeared from his mind, he fell into a one sided love. The lack of luck in love didn't apply to him during this kiss. The towering man he kissed responded back to his kiss. Albeit, Nowaki was a bit clumsy but this was a good sign. Hiroki didn't kiss his old releases of stress. His out of practice showed as they clashed teeth.

Nowaki placed his hand on the back of Hiroki's hair. Gripping his silky locks while they continued on kissing. Those sharp nails dug into his chest, he broke the kiss to let out a hiss. He opened his eyes and looked down at his chest. Eight puncture wounds were on his skin. Dribbles of blood down his chest as Nowaki's hands glowed and healed them. The wounds disappeared. His skin clear as if nothing happened.

Hiroki sheepishly placed his hands behind his back. "Shit...sorry."

Nowaki smiled as he pulled Hiroki in a loose embrace. Just to get another taste of Hiroki's lips, Nowaki pecked them again. The contact was brief but it brought a warm feeling inside of his chest. He stroked Hiroki's cheek with his fingers. A dusting of pink appeared on Hiroki's cheeks, there was a slight nuzzle to his hand. Smiling big, he connected their foreheads.

In pure amazement, Nowaki whispered. "Since when?"

Hiroki peeked up through his bangs, he answered. "I don't know..."

Nowaki pouted. "You don't know? How can you not know that you like someone?"

Hiroki huffed. "Did you think I'll would do some big confession with flowers in my arms?" A pile of blossoms fell on top of them as Hiroki growled. "This is getting old." He noticed the blossoms clung to Nowaki this time. "Wait...they are sticking to you."

"Really?!" Nowaki patted the top of his head and felt the soft blossoms underneath his fingertips. "Maybe the tree likes me now."

Hiroki scowled as he removed the blossoms from Nowaki's shoulders. "This is not a proud moment.'

"Yes it is," Nowaki smiled. "I found out that you really like me. Isn't that a good thing?"

"The normal reactions is to run away." Hiroki pointed out. "Scream in terror...push me away and call me disgusting.."

Nowaki kissed him again to cease Hiroki's comments. "Am I running away now?" Hiroki ripped up Nowaki's robe even more, making it even less wearable. "Hiro-san!"

"What?" Hiroki feigned confusion, he ripped more of Nowaki's robe. "You told me this was an old robe from your wardrobe. You didn't care if it got dirty or ripped through anything."

"It  _is_  old but Hiro-san you can't keep ripping up my clothing like this." Nowaki sighed, "Unless.." A grin appeared on his face. "You wanted to get me naked even faster?"

Hiroki flicked Nowaki on the forehead without any force. "No. These clothes are annoying me."

"Because you want me naked."

" _Shush._ " Hiroki swatted Nowaki's hands from his hair. "Since we are going into this...I have to tell you something,"

"Hiro-san, you can tell me anything." Nowaki reassured him and rubbed his shoulder.

"You see this stone." Hiroki presented to Nowaki, the angel nodded his head. "I told you this was my mother's necklace but you see...she's not a demon. She's just like you."

Nowaki's first action was touching Hiroki's horns, "But these are real," He reached behind Hiroki and poked his tail. "And this moves around!"

"I know, I asked my father." Hiroki let go of the crystal and it settled on his chest. "He told me this is not my real appearance. It's hidden away and I guess she can only remove the charm on me." Hiroki shivered as Nowaki brushed the base of his tail. "I feel all the sensations of a full demon. The glowing eyes and abilities you have seen are inherited from my father. He knows what I really look like."

"Really? I'm curious to know to see the true form of the person I am in love with." Nowaki smiled as he smoothed down Hiroki's wayward hair. "After all this time, I can't imagine you without these horns or your tail. They are a part of you."

Hiroki kept back the fact that his mother was locked away. Nowaki couldn't had known about her location. He was a healing angel who went around villages to check on humans and heal them at a slow rate. Warriors and high ranking angels knew all about those areas. His father told him everything and didn't hold back. Hiroki wasn't surprised his father didn't shed any tears over his mother. His eyes must had dried out during the first few years without her. He had to raise him on his own and needed to focus his attention on him. Demons couldn't show any weakness either.

His mother's location nagged him. He needed to know where she was in order to free her from her imprisonment but he had no idea where to start looking. He couldn't just ask any warrior angel to point out her location. That was just ludicrous and it would get him killed. His father didn't search for her. She made him promise not to look for her in order to keep this pseudo peace between their worlds. A stupid notion because these worlds  _never_  resolved any problems between each other.

Hiroki let Nowaki fuzz over him as he helped Nowaki out of his robe. It was useless for Nowaki to wear this now. Landing on the floor, Nowaki stared down at him without any barrier to hide his emotions. Another kiss pressed against his lips. The angel held no embarrassment over his nude body, he didn't care either. Hiroki got out of his hold as he walked around the tree. He grabbed the extra robe and handed it to him.

"I ruined that ratty thing so wear this one." Hiroki leaned against the tree and watched Nowaki get dressed.

Nowaki grinned as he tied the belt to the robe and smoothed it down. "Thank you. You always seem to know where to hide our clothes around here." He went to Hiroki's side as he said. "I love you, Hiro-san."

Hiroki's face went bright red as he stared at him incredulously. "You love me?" An enthusiastic nod. " _Oh_." Hiroki averted his face away from Nowaki. "We..don't declare such things where I am from. It won't be easy for me to say but...I do feel it."

"I know, I just wanted to tell you." Nowaki told him. "You don't have to tell it to me right now. I will wait as long as it takes." He took Hiroki's hand and kissed his knuckles. "We have all the time in the world."

Hiroki didn't snatch his hand back as Nowaki interlaced their fingers. Nowaki wrapped an arm around him and pressed their bodies together. Their lips connected yet again. This time, they ignored the oncoming assault of blossoms landing on top of them.

TBC


	11. An anxious proposition...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons and angels AU: A meeting between two different individuals changes many long standing views of each others way of life. Their forming friendship and affection catches the eyes of many who wish to do harm to them. As well as exposing many old secrets after centuries upon centuries of concealment. Angel!Nowaki Demon!Hiroki

Nowaki went through the procedures in Heaven with the biggest smile on his face.

He didn't care if he seemed  _too_  happy. After all, having someone waiting for him down on Earth made him want to get through all of his reports even faster. The fluttering in the pit of his stomach didn't disappear as he thought back on their kisses. He didn't even mind the accidental scratches. Letting out a chuckle, he remained in the line and ignored the looks he got from the angels on what he did. He wondered if Hiroki thought back on their first kiss with fondness. After that first contact, he initiated kisses every single time they met each other. Just thinking about holding Hiroki in his arms made him want to float on his wings.

The moment he was a few angels away from one of the elders, Nowaki pushed Hiroki from his mind. Hiroki debunked a good portion of the lessons he got as a trainee but still had some paranoia. The elders having the ability to read his mind turned into a fear when he acquired his wings. He didn't want to risk his availability and his freedom. It always seemed like the elders had suspicions when an angel diverted from their path. Their eyes always sought any change in all of the angels. The public trials still haunted Nowaki. He saw his fair share of trials which brought a shiver to his spine.

Nowaki bit the inside of his cheek and his hands gripped the ends of his sleeves. He had to keep an illusion in front of everyone. After all, knowing Hiroki's mother went through her own trials. It made him wonder about her name so he could find her through the archives. The act of bearing a child of a demon and an angel wasn't high treason but warranted a large punishment. For one thing, he didn't know where they transferred the prisoners.

He hoped Hiroki's mother remained her whole sense after so many centuries. Maybe he could search for the jails to locate her. Although, it didn't mean he would break her out. Hiroki might visit her to get to know her. She never got the chance to raise Hiroki and this might raise her spirits. Breaking out a prisoner  _was_  high treason.

Although, Hiroki was an impulsive demon. Knowing him, he would run off and steal away his mother in the middle of the night.

"Kusuma Nowaki?"

Nowaki snapped out of his thoughts as he stepped forward. "Right here," He fiddled with the strap of his robe while he ignored the glances of the angels behind him.

"How did everything go up North? Any  _problems?_ "

Nowaki knew he meant if he dealt with demons or any dark creatures. He had one waiting for him at the lake but no dangerous demons bumped into him. Not like Hiroki's acquaintance who attacked him and Misaki a while ago. Hiroki was right on one thing, that demon didn't wander around Earth often. He didn't catch sight of him again when he returned to the usual spot.

"Just fine," Nowaki replied, his face remained without any emotion. He couldn't give himself to his emotions. "The surrounding villages didn't get the high strand of the sickness that went around the humans. It turned into a small strand which went away with the usual medicine with some of my healing energy immersed into the brew. A few of the elderly have died so they should have gone down into purgatory by now. No adults or children have died yet. I'm certain the sickness didn't spread far enough to cause alarm."

"Good. Everything was handled well and I don't see anything wrong." The recorder put down his pen when Nowaki finished his report, their eyes connected when he told him. "Before you leave, I have something to tell you. There was a request for you to enter the guard division here in Heaven."

"Join the guards?" Nowaki tilted his head in confusion. "Is my work unsatisfactory? From what I gathered, everything I have done has been to the letter. I have gotten better at my healing abilities that I rarely use my sword. Not that I have neglected all of my practices I assure you."

"From the current reports you have told us, everything has checked out when the scouters check the villages. You suit the whole package of a healing angel and I believe you are doing an amazing job." He crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back on his chair. "But, one of the guards has been insistent that you would do a better job in their ranks. It's a nice opportunity, he is a highly regarded and wanted you to go into the training program. You could start tomorrow if you agree."

"Who requested a place for me in the guards? I don't know many of the guards enough to offer my name."

"Lieutenant Tsumori. I saw him meeting with the elders and the leader of the guards very often. He has become insistent, he  _really_  wants you there." He arched a brow while he tapped his hands on the desk. "

"Senpai? Wow..I ...I thought he was joking when he said I should quit being a healing angel to join the ranks. I thought we stayed what we were assigned when we first received our wings. My own teachers told me that we never stray from the path given to us."

Nowaki didn't know Tsumori had such plans for him. He knew he had to reject the offer on the spot. The guards and soldiers remained in Heaven. Taking the offer meant his free time would turn restricted. Very limited. He couldn't visit Hiroki down at their meeting place. Hiroki might assume he abandoned him for whatever reason. Although, they never had a concrete schedule on the days where they met each other. Most of the time, he waited hours before realizing he wouldn't come on that specific day.

Nowaki tried not to panic as he breathed deep. It wasn't like Tsumori convinced their superiors on switching him. These transfers didn't happen often so he felt a sense of sigh of relief. Due to his impeccable record, he had a choice in the matter. He wouldn't get forced to enter a new job he didn't want to do. Besides, he loved interacting with humans. They brought a new perspective in existence. Despite the fact that their lives were so short.

"In some occasions, some angels are transferred." The angel explained as he moved on his soft plush seat. "It occurs closer to times of war but never in peace. I'm sure he is just trying to gain  _favors_  from you." His eyebrow arched in inquisitiveness.

Nowaki furrowed his eyebrows as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't get what you mean. What favors?"

A surprised expression crossed the recorder's face when he waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Your senpai might just be looking out for your best interest."

Nowaki stated, "I can decide what I want on my own. I don't need someone to talk for me. I love my job. I wouldn't change it for the world."

The recorder snorted, his voice full of amusement. "I see your point. I wouldn't like that either. Anyway, it's just talk at this point. There is no definite basis on you changing your profession anytime soon."

Nowaki nodded his head and he peeked over his shoulder. "Good. I don't want anything to change." He noticed some angels whispered to each other but stopped when he watched them all. "Am I going to move in a different area?"

"Well, you have the usual assignments. The list only shows you are moving into a different sector for now."

"Thank you," Nowaki gulped. "Do I need to talk with the elders about this request?"

"No. Just talk with Lieutenant Tsumori. He might give you an explanation on what he is doing."

"I will," Nowaki excused himself while he got out of the line.

He hurried through the training area and went toward the guard barracks. His stomach plunged. He already felt his hands trembling.

Tsumori had to retract his recommendation before anything moved along.

* * *

Tsumori sharpened his trusty sword while he hunched down to make sure he missed nothing. Despite the fact that he didn't use it much, he needed to stay prepared. At any time, the signs of war appeared and they couldn't remain unguarded. A good portion of his squadron wanted war. Their care lessened when they all entered the battlefield. They wanted to kill something without any justification under the guise of their cause. The mask of an angel dissipated. No demons had made any trouble for a long time. Impatience filled the barracks. Some have taken onto fighting innocent demons just to relieve their battle lust. Boredom set in after their victories and the trails of former angels didn't entertain them.

All they ever did was sleep with each other or seduce angels outside of the guards. It turned into a game between them all. Most of them had a list or had an angel on reserve no one dared to go after them. Tsumori had a small list with Nowaki on top of every single angel that caught his interest. The thrill wore off after their higher ups didn't bat an eye to their activities. At least it was their own kind and not any dark creatures who corrupted them. It didn't stop the elders from giving them leery looks when they stumbled inside after a romp.

The intricate gold handle of his beloved blade remained unblemished after centuries without war. It served as a conversation starter and the innocent newbies loved hearing him talk. He loved hearing himself. His tales blew out of proportion but he didn't care. The new trainees didn't care about the reality. They wanted a distraction from real life. The bored established angels rolled their eyes at his explanations. It served to amuse him when he went to tease them.

Even the most stuck up angel had releases. The period where those high restrictions didn't apply to their current time. They were obsolete when they went behind closed doors to do their activities. The elders still placed these rules on the angels outside of their barracks. It made their art of seduction too time consuming. Patience didn't suit them at all.

"Tsumori! You have a visitor!"

Tsumori chucked the sharpening tool over his shoulder, he bellowed. "Who?"

The younger rank guard peeked into Tsumori's room with a huge grin on his face. "Kusama is looking for you. He probably found out about your submission for him to come in with us. He looks like a good candidate, you were not lying."

The guard wiggled his eyebrows before he left the entrance but not before he heard Tsumori telling him. "Great, don't have anyone disturb us. This might take a while." Tsumori got up just in time for Nowaki to stop at the door. "Nowaki! Come right in."

Nowaki nodded his head as he went inside of Tsumori's room but kept the door open behind him. "Senpai."

Tsumori sat back down on his bed as he patted his side. "Sit down. You are welcome in here any time. I could probably get you the room right across from mine so we can talk more often." He sheathed his sword and propped it to the wall. "I already told a good portion of the recruits that you might join in the program. Trust me, you will have a real good time here with all of us."

"Senpai," Nowaki remained firm when he said. "Please, don't make decisions when they are not wanted."

"Wait, what?" Tsumori's eyes widened at Nowaki's indifference. "You have the talent. I don't request just anyone you know."

Nowaki shook his head. "I have made no indication that I have  _ever_  wanted to leave my job." He masked his nervousness as he rubbed his hands. "I am fine. Please, do not make such a declaration again."

Tsumori put his hands up in a sign of surrender. "Alright, alright, I'll go tell them all that you are not interested. You don't have to worry about that anymore."

Nowaki took a few steps back to the door. "Thank you. That's all I wanted to tell you." He turned around and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Tsumori processed what happened as he punched his bed in a fury of hits. Teeth gritted and muscles clenched. His hand clutched his hair and he glared at the door. He didn't know trapping someone turned into such a difficult game. Unless Nowaki found out the true reason why the guards came near angels outside of their ranks. Which shouldn't had happened when this was a kept secret in the higher ranks.

Nowaki's looks gathered the attention on a variety of angels who wanted him. Nowaki should had considered himself lucky that he looked after him. His dibs when Nowaki got his wings made the others not pursue him. In a way, he cared for him more than the other angels. Nowaki didn't fake his kindness but this attitude he presented through him off.

Letting go of his hair, he rubbed his face.

He  _wasn't_  going to retract his statements. Nowaki was going to join the ranks whether he wanted to or not.

* * *

Hiroki leaned against the wall of the small library of human literature inside of his home. Having finished arranging them in alphabetical order, he decided to rest a bit. His father allowed his collection considering he remained at home more often. It was hidden behind a makeshift door in his room which also connected to his father's room. Not that he ever took advantage of this new entrance so he could look through his father's possessions. He knew better than to disobey his father who crushed people with a flicker of a finger.

His hand fiddled with his mother's necklace again. He retracted his hand for a moment before he curled his hand around the crystal. After putting it on, he didn't take it off not even when he scrubbed himself in the lake. Nowaki loved touching it. He commented on the warm aura coming from the crystal itself.

"I see you are still wearing that necklace." Soshi commented when he entered inside of the room, snapping his claws, the cork on the bottle popped off. "I thought you would had placed it back inside of the trunk. You could always get accustomed to her belongings through touching all of them. It's not like the aura from her belongings would transfer on you when you leave this place."

Hiroki fiddled with the crystal when he nodded his head. "Is it a bad thing that I am wearing it?" He noticed his father poured a substantial amount of alcohol into a wine glass.

"Not at all." Soshi sipped some of his vintage wine. "I never expected you to get attached."

Hiroki's face warmed up, admitting. "It's a part of her. I can smell her in the rope tied around this crystal. It sort of glows when I am at the lake." He asked. "How come you never wore this?"

Soshi fiddled with his glass, his eyes narrowed. "Memories.  _Painful_  memories. I had to place all of my focus onto you. She made me promise not to abandon you somewhere and to raise you the closest matter she wanted for you. Not that I would have left you on your own. You look so much like her." He reached out his hand and brushed off some petals from Hiroki's hair. "You are getting more careless."

Hiroki huffed. "Well, the idiot I am meeting doesn't do a good job at taking them off of my hair. He gets distracted."

Soshi noticed something on Hiroki's neck as he poked at the spot. Hiroki jumped as his hand clamped over the bruise right under the dark ring around his neck.

"I see.  _Distracted_." An amused smirk formed, he took another sip of wine.

"Stop looking at me like that." Hiroki glared at him. "You probably did way worse than me."

Soshi snorted. "I'm sure you don't want to know about my adventures with your mother."

Hiroki gagged. "You're right. I  _don't_  want to know." He grabbed a book from his shelf that he had not read in a few decades. "Keep your comments to yourself."

Soshi finished his glass and poured more wine. "I should assume you won't come back for a few weeks. Tell your intended my salutations."

"Yeah yeah."

"He knows I will murder him if he hurts you right?"

Hiroki held the book to his chest. "You do know he is the same as mother. Nowaki is a kind soul."

Soshi swirled his wine around when he stated. "You don't know the true nature of angels. Those in the army or even guards are corrupt and will do anything to kill dark creatures. The guise of the better good is such a ridiculous disguise."

"Nowaki is a healer."

"Oh, never mind then." Soshi said as he gulped more of his wine. "The threat still stands. I can  _still_  go into that lake, he should know this as well."

Hiroki rolled his eyes. "Father, he already fears you. He has heard of the Great Demon General Soshi Kamijou. After all, he asked about you after I commented about living with my father and we have the same last name. If you ever meet him, don't scare him too much."

"I don't make that promise."

"Just peachy." Hiroki coughed into his hand. "I will tell him you said hello, see you later."

Soshi watched him go as he pushed back his bangs from his forehead. An action done long ago. His eyes closed shut as he dropped his wine glass. Crashing onto the ground, his boots crushed them even further. He wished his son remained happy. He didn't want him to suffer the heartache he had when he lost his wife. She was the one being who tolerated his ridiculous outbursts.

His hand laid on his chest and the necklace he hid under his armor warmed up. Her presence still went strong. It didn't dwindle. A piece of the wedding jewel he gave her all those centuries ago. Her essence clung to it. This brought him more comfort knowing his wife had not succumbed to her imprisonment. Hiroki had her strong will. He realized Hiroki would need a sturdy disposition for the struggles ahead.

Having raised him in this tough environment, he had no need to concern himself. Not at all.

* * *

"Hiro-san!" Nowaki scooped Hiroki into his arms and kissed his lips. More pecks continued on after the first initial kiss. "Good thing I caught you this time." He connected their foreheads, a sigh of content. "I have missed you so much."

Hiroki wrapped his arms around Nowaki's torso and he played with the fabric. He stayed quiet and listened to Nowaki. His face scrunched up, Nowaki sounded off. Peeking up through his bangs, he noticed the anxiousness. It showed through his voice but his smile disguised everything. He let Nowaki hook his arms under his legs and carried him toward their usual spot at the tree. It didn't stop him from frowning at the audacity. He was able to walk on his two feet without having someone hold him.

Nowaki stopped speaking as he went into his own thoughts. His smile fell as he paid his attention up ahead. Hiroki watched different emotions go through Nowaki's face. Nowaki's grip slacked. Gulping, Hiroki placed his arms around Nowaki's neck. Keeping his comment silent, he burrowed his face into Nowaki's robes. Inhaling the calming herbs, he closed his eyes. His body shivered from the wind hitting them from the side.

"Are you cold?"

Hiroki's eyes snapped open. "No...I'm fine. Father gives his regards and his threats."

"Threats?" Nowaki sat Hiroki down on the grass, Hiroki caught a glimpse at his nervous demeanor. "He won't come hunt me down right?"

"Not at all. He is doing the whole overprotective father spiel just to scare you. Remember," Hiroki took his arms off of Nowaki, he placed his hands on those broad shoulders. "My mother is an angel just like you. He has plenty of reasons to not trust you but he has confidence in  _my_  judgment. He lost a lot around my age."

Nowaki brushed Hiroki's bangs to the side. "You're worried it would happen to us right?"

Hiroki's breath hitched. "All the time."

Nowaki caressed Hiroki's cheek with his fingertips. "Hiro-san..I think about this too. But, I don't regret any of this."

Hiroki got on his knees, using Nowaki as leverage. "I never said I regretted anything. Just...be careful. From what the old generals down in Hell told us, angels use any pretext to imprison their own kind."

Nowaki turned his gaze up at the cherry blossom tree. "I know they do, I keep away from the spotlight for that reason." Hiroki placed a kiss on his neck, his smile didn't reach his eyes. He turned his gaze down at Hiroki.

Nowaki held onto Hiroki's hands as he moved around him and sat down in between the roots of the tree. Hiroki hesitation was void as he plopped on Nowaki's lap. His strong arms wrapped around him seconds later. The grip tightened. Hiroki didn't mind much when he noticed Nowaki's trembling interlaced fingers. His claws rested on top of them and they ceased their quivering.

Nowaki burrowed his face into the crook of his neck. His hair tickled the skin on Hiroki's skin but he continued on hiding his face.

"Okay, something is bothering you." Hiroki huffed as he rubbed Nowaki's hands. "Ever since you kissed me, you seemed miles away. Did something happen back home?"

Nowaki pecked Hiroki's shoulder, he had no reason to lie to his lover about something this serious. "I...I got offered a spot in the guards."

Hiroki stiffened. He turned his head, a frown marred his once peaceful face. "Don't tell me you agreed on this."

"Of course not!" Nowaki cried as he held Hiroki tighter in his arms. "A senpai of mine had started talking to our superiors on transferring me. I talked to him and he said he would retract his statement. He had no right putting in his word when I never talked about leaving my job. I'm worried they will keep an eye on me because of this new interest on me."

Hiroki fiddled with Nowaki's collar. "It's just an offer. I'm relieved you didn't accept it. You won't come down here unless it's under the guise of war. Which won't happen for a long time. Demons are dealing with their own battles to focus on angels."

With that knowledge, Nowaki's whole body relaxed on the bark of the tree. Loosening his grip, Hiroki made himself more comfortable on his lap. He ignored the slight stabs of loose bark on his side. His lips quirked up into a small smile. His right hand rested on Hiroki's knee as he kept his eyes on the calm lake in front of them.

"That's a relief..."

"Yeah...their interest in angels has gone down. They find them too boring for a decent battle, too many underhanded tricks for a true fight." Hiroki pointed out. "You are a great fighter but you hesitate. You wouldn't last long with the guards in my opinion."

Nowaki let out a short laugh. "Oh Hiro-san..I already knew that. I love healing than injuring someone. But if it was to protect someone I love, I would put in all of my effort."

Hiroki furrowed his eyebrows. "You wouldn't need to do that, just leave it to me."

Nowaki arched a brow. "Don't start with the solo protection thing again, I will be your backup. I am not letting you handle anything on your own."

Hiroki burrowed his face into Nowaki's robes, a smile on his face. "Alright...we are a partnership after all."

"Yes we are," Nowaki pumped up as he placed his chin on top of Hiroki's soft hair. "And we can handle anything life throws at us."

TBC


	12. The changing tides..

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons and angels AU: A meeting between two different individuals changes many long standing views of each others way of life. Their forming friendship and affection catches the eyes of many who wish to do harm to them. As well as exposing many old secrets after centuries upon centuries of concealment. Angel!Nowaki Demon!Hiroki

Hiroki and Nowaki stood in front of the caves, a little distance away from view. Nowaki handed Hiroki the bag he used to carry his books. His fingers lingered on Hiroki's extended hand. He tried not to smile big when he saw Hiroki's face turn red from his actions. Hiroki had confessed he wasn't used to affection between lovers. Despite his initiative in getting them together, he lacked in loving gestures. Something Nowaki made up for the both of them. Although, he cuddled with Hiroki before they entered this new stage of their relationship anyway.

Hiroki hooked the bag over his shoulder and made sure his necklace didn't get tangled in the strap. He made this mistake when he was in a rush getting back home. The crystal glowed at times which didn't fail to freak him out. At first, he assumed his mother tried contacting them through this crystal but he dismissed it from his mind. One of the few ways was if she had a piece of it before attempting such a thing.

He stared down the caves of Hell and noticed a handful of guardians of death floating in. Half the time he came back from Earth, he never encountered them. Unless an increase of deaths happened when he stayed in the bubble which contained the lake away from the world. Nowaki would had told him if an epidemic happened when he was on duty in the villages.

Nowaki pulled Hiroki into a loose hug as he asked. "Can I have one kiss before you go please?"

Hiroki's lips quirked up as he placed his finger under Nowaki's chin. "And why would I want to do that hmm?" He curled his finger as he pulled Nowaki into the trees near the entrance which obscured them from view. "You already get them enough at the lake."

Nowaki connected their forehead as he interlaced their fingers. "I might not see you for a while. I need to stay energized when I go back."

"You need the energy? _Ha_." Hiroki huffed as he kept his eyes on their interlaced hands. "You don't need a kiss for such a thing. You'll be fine when I leave you in a little bit."

Nowaki placed his free hand on Hiroki's back. "Won't you miss me?"

Hiroki still had his sights on their hands to prevent Nowaki from looking him in the eyes. "Why are you asking me such a thing? You know the answer without me telling you anything. You might be hiding mind reading powers. You always seem to know what I am thinking."

Nowaki felt some pride in getting used to reading his lover well. It took him a while after forming a friendship with Hiroki but it was worth it. "Please?" Nowaki asked. "Just one more before you have to leave me all alone?"

Hiroki took a step back and stared at Nowaki in the eyes. "Why are you even asking me? You always steal a kiss anyway."

"Because," Nowaki pulled Hiroki close enough that their chests touched. "It doesn't hurt to ask." He grinned. "I sometimes catch you looking annoyed when I kiss you so I wanted to make sure you wanted one."

Hiroki rolled his eyes. "So polite. Too polite. Try finding the right mood before asking me every single time you want one." He fiddled with Nowaki's robe with one hand. "What is this flimsy robe made out of? Paper? Are you wearing out your old robes again?"

Nowaki sighed, he had grown slightly tired of Hiroki ripping his clothes  _accidentally._  Hiroki claimed accidents but he didn't believe him. "Don't rip this one, I can't fly in the nude."

"Since when do you care?" Hiroki inquired as he stopped himself from making a hole in Nowaki's outfit again. "Start wearing those togas again. You have the legs to work the outfit. Then again...do you even feel the cold when you are down here on Earth?"

Nowaki blushed as he separated their fingers and placed both of his hands on Hiroki's shoulders. "Ah...you really think so? I never noticed. Um..I don't really feel cold but it's more a season thing." He didn't realize Hiroki observed him to make such comments. It felt nice hearing Hiroki's blunt statements when he didn't censor his mouth to cover them up.

Hiroki placed a hand on Nowaki's chest to avoid poking him in the chest with his nails. "It's hard not to notice when we first met you had such a short skirt on. I'm sure your angels check out your figure."

Nowaki found it funny and some of his shyness left him when he laughed. "I don't think so. I am not a pretty angel to get such attention."

"Don't sell yourself short," Hiroki said as he got on his toes and gave Nowaki a quick kiss. "I have to go, don't get in trouble without me."

Nowaki pouted and applied pressure on Hiroki's shoulders, keeping him in his place. Hiroki arched a brow as he stared up at him and didn't say anything else.

"What did I do?"

"It was short."

Hiroki scoffed as he put a hand behind Nowaki's head and pulled him close. "Alright then, let me give you an extended version." Their lips connected as Nowaki slouched to accommodate the height.

Hiroki deepened the kiss and ran his fingers through Nowaki's hair. He didn't apply pressure to keep their lips connected. Nowaki's whimpers gave him an indication that he enjoyed every moment. Pushing him toward the rocky wall, he pressed his body against him. Holding back the urge to rub his body against him. Nowaki's fingers dug into his shoulders as he almost keeled from the kiss. Hiroki did some things with his tongue which made Nowaki breathless.

Hiroki broke the kiss. A line of saliva connected them. Their faces turned bright red, they turned away from each other. But they didn't move away from each other. Nowaki bit his bottom lip, grazing his teeth without thinking. Hiroki kissed him briefly before he took a few steps back.

"Well...there you go." Hiroki commented as Nowaki went to him and kissed him again. "Damn it Nowaki I can't leave if you keep doing this."

Nowaki smiled. "Okay I'll stop...I won't stop thinking of you."

Hiroki gave him a slight smile. "I won't either." He walked around the mouth of the cave, leaving Nowaki staring at his retreating form.

He released his wings before flying up in the sky. Letting out a laugh, he broke through a layer of clouds. His thoughts never strayed from Hiroki.

* * *

A loud click broke Fuyumi out of her daze. After so many weeks in her thoughts, she had no remote mood in answering any questions. She knew they always introduced someone new to interrogate her. Once, she had a newbie come inside and her cold answers made the girl cry. Centuries ago, she would had felt some remorse but staying in enclosed quarters didn't liberate the mind. If anything, she wanted to lash out at these angels. Their chimes of family in their lessons faded away from her memories. They imprisoned her over finding her own happiness. The lingering memories of having held her child and the nights with her husband got her through her lonely days.

It didn't help that the atmosphere grew more hostile with each passing year. More angels dissipated into the darkness produced from their imprisonment. The amount that first begged for mercy through their tears went silent after a few decades. Their spirits broken. Unrelenting cries throughout the ones who still have fight inside of their bodies. Her escape inside of her mind made her block away any of the outside interruptions.

Her green eyes went toward the metal opening, turning her face to stone. She didn't struggle in her bonds. Their eyes nitpicked any movement as her trying to escape from her cell. Rolling her shoulder, she felt the small chunk of crystal in between her tangled up hair. The bit of crystal which came from her necklace, she didn't know everything about those mating crystals. It just brought her some comfort. A piece of her past hid in the confines of her hair.

Blossoms littered the floor as two angels entered inside. She kept his glare, it intensified when she saw a familiar face. The higher up angels must had thought that her old confidant would stir her sense back. Her sense remained intact. She just didn't want to divulge her information to them.

"Miss...Fuyumi Kanno?" Tsumori checked the paper in his hands. "We have a few questions for you."

Fuyumi gritted her teeth, she didn't want to correct the blond on her last name. She let out a sigh to release the tension from her body. "This happens every few decades, my answers will remain the same. I am not telling you anything." This new blond angel they sent didn't seem right to her. His demeanor seemed too haughty for a  _proper_  angel.

Tsumori scoffed. "C'mon, just give away their names and you can come back up in Heaven. Out of all of these prisoners who are far gone to come back, they are giving you a chance."

Fuyumi glared at him. "You are all liars in Heaven. I have lived centuries longer than you boy, I know their secrets. There is no way they would let me walk around without someone watching my every move. That is insufferable and disrespectful."

Miyagi stood in the background and tried not to show the shame in his face. He had conversed with her when she still had her position. She didn't have any happiness in Heaven. Her eyes lingered down on Earth, presenting her longing to step foot down on the grass. She admitted it to him once. Her desire to interact with humans and checking the world outside of their own. The day before she sneaked away and met with the demon who changed everything.

He remembered the first sincere smile she had in decades on her return. The new necklace she wore which she fiddled with care. Half the time she skipped or floated with her wings when she did her duties in Heaven. Her smile illuminated the room and plenty of the guards voiced their interest. Something the elders hushed them down before the word got out to the general population of angels. Although, after her imprisonment the laws buckled down hard.

He still saw her as a simple recorder who developed abilities far beyond the norm. Miyagi saw some things he kept to himself. He never told her that he found out about her optical illusions. No wonder she managed to get through Heaven's gates when there was a break in her work.

Tsumori rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, you know everything in Heaven."

"I know about  _the list_."

Tsumori almost dropped the papers in his hands onto the floor. "W-What?" Even Miyagi turned to him with incredulous eyes.

"What list, Tsumori-san?"

"Nothing!" Tsumori hissed out. "It is absolutely nothing."

"You know what list I mean. From your reaction, you are in the guards aren't you?" Fuyumi had a disgusted look on her face. "And you all called what I did a disgrace. Luring in those poor innocent angels in your beds and then dispose of them through guilt."

Tsumori muttered. "Fuck this shit," He stalked to the door. "You deal with her Miyagi."

Fuyumi took notice of Miyagi as her eyes narrowed. "Oh hell, why are  _you_  here?"

Miyagi turned to her with pained eyes. "I...was told to come here to heal any wounds you might have. I was the second choice if you didn't answer what he wanted."

Fuyumi turned her head to the side. "Do yourself a favor and leave me alone. You came too late to heal the wounds I got from those chains."

Miyagi sighed. "Fuyumi-san...I am so sorry. But you knew the consequences about-"

"About being happy." Fuyumi interrupted him, her glare made Miyagi shiver. "I had a loving husband and a child to raise. You have no clue on the pain I still have on abandoning my child for them to remain safe. I should have been there for every single first thing he did. The proud feeling all mothers have when they watch their child grow up. You all took that away from me."

"It's not my fault." Miyagi said as he peeked over his shoulder and saw Tsumori looking inside.

"No, but you did  _nothing_. Just like the rest of them." Fuyumi snorted. "Go away. I might as well rot here like the rest of the others." Miyagi left the cell and closed the door behind him.

* * *

Soshi went through a path notorious for unexpected battled. He needed to release the tension he felt throughout the morning. Well, the stress he had building up for almost a month. Something which didn't happen to him often. The chunk of crystal under his armor warmed up due to his wife's panic. An incident in her cells must had made her on high alert. Her collected aura had skyrocketed. This had not happened since she got taken away from him. Her first decades in the hidden cells the angels in Heaven used for their hopeless cases made the gem warm. He grew used to the feeling, he had Hiroki to protect for the first few stages of his life.

His frustration bled through his hands. Turning them into a glowing green hue. His golden eyes turned the same color and he stalked through the trail. His ears open to pick up anyone to tear up with his claws. He felt some of them fleeing the area but he wanted to pick someone easy. Something useless that no one would miss when he killed him. No one had true allies unless earned through strength.

He learned this the hard way when he was an uncontrollable mess.

Soshi stopped in the path.

"Looks like General Kamijou cannot stay away from where he doesn't belong." The demon walked out of the shadows, he had his weapon out with a sneer. "You made a big mistake coming around here without anyone else."

Soshi looked him up and down. Accessing everything in a matter of seconds. This one was perfect to release all of his frustration. He unsheathed his sword and the glow transferred onto his weapon, making it a bright green.

The cockiness of this demon wrote his downfall.

He charged on ahead and didn't even hesitate on the first swing of his sword. The demon had no chance of defending himself as the battle lasted seconds. Blood splattered all over his armor and parts of his body. He didn't flinch at the screams. Soshi had gotten used to hearing the pleads from demons who wanted mercy. He tuned them out and focused on finishing the battle.

The body fell to the ground and turned into dust. Kicking the dust around with his foot, Soshi wiped his sword on the bottom of his pants. Sheathing it, he didn't feel any better but his initial frustration went away.

"Bravo." Then came a set of clapping as the demon chuckled. "Now, you seek out battles on your own Kamijou? That demon was far below your standards. Then again, it was entertaining the way you tore that lower class scum apart."

Soshi turned his head and Fuyuhiko Usami stood there with a new lover in his arm. "What do  _you_  want?"

"Oh nothing, I am just strolling with my new lover. I have lucked out on finding her, maybe I might get another child on the way." His claws caressed her sides and she batted her eyelashes up at him. "And I heard the delightful screams of pain. So I came around to check what happened."

From one glance the demoness had no remote power to sustain herself in battle. Soshi wondered how she managed to survive with such low power levels. Unless she joined a pack and kept low until she got an opportunity to gain some notoriety. She gathered no interest in him despite her outward appearance. Then again, Fuyuhiko caught any beautiful woman just for the fun of it. Resulting in so many bastard children that he didn't understand how any of them carried the Usami name with pride. Fuyuhiko didn't know _all_  the names of his children.

Akihiko and Haruhiko had the most notoriety in the clan which gave false hopes to their younger half siblings. They couldn't match a fraction of their natural abilities which killed a good half of them before they matured. Fuyuhiko paled in comparison. His old legends didn't follow him in his older age. His powers didn't lessen but many sought this radical change as weakness. Anyone would try to snuff him out without a second thought.

Soshi shook his hands to rid himself of excess blood on his hands. "How charming. You take strolls around without any armor on."

"I'm feared enough so I don't need such precaution." Fuyuhiko showed off the sword on his waist.

"Then take caution for your...is this the 200th lover you have?" Soshi inquired and he ignored the glare the demoness sent at his direction. "From the power I am feeling, there is a great lack of it."

Fuyuhiko laughed. "I don't need them to be powerful. The beauty and the tenacity to keep up with me in bed is what I want."

Soshi arched a brow. "Yes, the others have laid their claims through the gossip mills." He checked his nails. "Has Akiko checked back in from the different section?"

"Akiko?" The demoness spoke up for the first time in the conversation.

Fuyuhiko hushed her as he stared back at Soshi. "No. She has renounced everything remember? She can't come back to claim any benefits from my last name."

Soshi shrugged his shoulders. "She is a strong demoness in her own right and she gave birth to Akihiko. One of your strongest children. She doesn't have a need for your last name unless it's a last result." Soshi observed Fuyuhiko's lover once more. "Let's see if this next child matches up to Akiko and Harumi's sons. I will excuse myself, I need to get back home." He walked away from them and heard the demoness screech at Fuyuhiko.

He smirked and tried to keep himself from laughing so close to them. After so many centuries, he thought these demonesses knew better than to assume they were special. None of them had the chops to hold the Usami name as Fuyuhiko's one mate. The rumors held up for a reason. So they couldn't had remained ignorant through the stories spread about the Usami family.

Either way, it was amusing riling them up.

* * *

Nowaki had finished his report not too long ago as he stretched up his hands over his head. Muscles lost tension, making him feel content. He rubbed his eyes while he continued on walking on ahead. He went toward the direction of where his small abode resided. It was in the middle of all of the healing angels homes. Not too big but it fit his large frame just fine. Enough space for his belongings while he had a few personal possessions he took along with him from his assignments. There was even a Heaven version of a bed which ironically enough wasn't as soft as a cloud.

His fingers touched his lips as he tried not to get heated up. He was still not used to this new relationship with Hiroki that the proof showed on his face. His red face would bring up questions. His daydreams of going back to Earth already had angels asking him why he didn't pay attention. He got embarrassed but at least his true secret remained hidden. Almost like the bubble which hid their secret rendezvous.

Rubbing his arms, he wondered if he should wear his gold arm bands again. Hiroki already told him he liked him wearing a toga and the arm bands went with the whole ensemble. Having them underneath his robes just didn't work out. It wasted the whole point in wearing them in the first place. Yet, the season had not changed on Earth. He wore certain outfits due to the season. The climate change affected his outlook on the day. He wasn't about to wear a short toga when the Earth had a bout of rain. This would make the fabric uncomfortable to walk around in.

Although, he was sure Hiroki loved ripping up his clothing for fun.

Tsumori wrapped an arm around Nowaki's shoulders and pulled him close to his chest. "Nowaki! Where have you been hiding? I haven't seen you in such a long time I almost thought you left us all up here." He sniffed, "You smell good. Whatever village you have been going to has some real good smells."

Nowaki got out of Tsumori's hold immediately when he said. "Please don't surprise me like that senpai. I just came back from a hostile environment." He didn't comment on the last sentence, he didn't want to upset him.

"Touchy." Tsumori sing songed and his grin dropped when he saw the serious expression on Nowaki's face. "Oh c'mon it's not a big deal. You're turning into such a downer Nowaki."

Nowaki shook his head. "I'm not. I just want my space." He remembered what happened last time when he asked. "Senpai, did you retreat your request to everyone? I meant when I said I wasn't going to switch my position anytime soon."

"Ah! But you were thinking about it." Tsumori had a mischievous smile of victory on his face. "You would do well in the guards you know. A lot of the people in my section are eagerly waiting for you to join us."

"No, I wasn't thinking about it." Nowaki shot that idea down when he told him. "Again, I like my job."

His thoughts went to living a life with Hiroki down on Earth, something that might not turn into reality. Maybe building their small cabin might simulate something close to domestic bliss. Permanently leaving Heaven meant treason and he might get imprisoned. Never seeing Hiroki again. This couldn't happen.

"Did you?"

Tsumori lied through his teeth. "I did. You won't have any of the guards coming to grab your things to move into the barracks."

Nowaki relaxed as he put his hand on his chest. "Thank you. I don't want to have such a thing over my head." He noticed a pile of papers in Tsumori's hands. "I didn't know guards did reports."

"We don't." Tsumori said as he held the papers to his chest to hide any words that Nowaki might read. "Our higher ups report everything and then hand it in to the recorders. I'm just doing someone a favor on an old issue."

"Can I ask what it is?"

"It's confidential. The elders don't want this going out." He smoothly lied as he winked at Nowaki. "If you want to know what it is about, all you have to do is join us."

"No, thank you." Nowaki told him as he heard some of the trainees calling his name. "I have to go. I am getting summoned to tell stories again." He hurried away from Tsumori and got bombarded with a flock of young trainees.

Tsumori kissed his teeth with discontent. His hands gripped the papers enough to crinkle them and he didn't care about the presentation. Nothing changed from his so called visit with that woman. He cut through the line of angels and went to the recorder and slammed the papers on the desk. The recorder jumped in surprise and glared up at Tsumori for his rude gesture.

"I got nothing. A hopeless case." Tsumori turned away from the recorder before he got an answer on his report.

The recorder rolled his eyes as he moved his hand over the papers and they disappeared. "I could had told them that," He called the next angel and tried not to laugh at the indignant scowl on her face. Tsumori had always rubbed other angels the wrong way, especially those outside of the guard ranks.

TBC


	13. Keeping their secret...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons and angels AU: A meeting between two different individuals changes many long standing views of each others way of life. Their forming friendship and affection catches the eyes of many who wish to do harm to them. As well as exposing many old secrets after centuries upon centuries of concealment. Angel!Nowaki Demon!Hiroki

Nowaki kept a good grip on the rope which connected to a wagon full of watermelons. Ripe ones according to the yellow spot on the side and the hollow noise made when he hit it with his knuckles. Ever since the summer season came around, he heard Hiroki muttering about wanting a watermelon. His lover didn't say it out loud but Nowaki wanted to take the initiative. This prompted him to find some patches he knew grew the sweet fruit.

Earlier in the day, he found a patch of watermelons in a remote area. The season had watermelons growing at a fast rate in the hottest areas. Whoever grew them wouldn't miss a few medium sized watermelons. Nowaki placed them in a small wagon he saw nearby. He almost ran off when he heard the farmer coming around to tend to the melons. When he slowed down, he realized he was invisible to the majority of the population. This made him face palm as he trudged through the forests and tried not to embarrass himself even further.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he let out a deep sigh. The day turned hotter with each passing hour and he just wanted to eat the watermelon straight away. He might leave them near the lake under the shade of the tree to keep them cool. Hiroki handled heat better than he ever did. He waved away any hot days and remained in his tight clothing. Nowaki grew hotter just looking at him.

He might sneak Hiroki another dark red robe into their small box of treasures near the tree. After, he pushed him into the lake and got his clothing wet. Hiroki didn't get too mad at him since he knew he jested half the time.

Nowaki stopped a few feet away from the trail as he placed the wagon near the tree. He stretched up his arms and breathed through his nose. The day grew hotter and he wanted to swim in the lake for a while.

Lost in his thoughts, he missed Misaki walking through the trees. The angel spotted him and almost ran to his side. He had not seen a familiar face in months and the new people in the South were less than cordial. They gave no help when he asked for it, telling him to toughen up and deal with it. He knew he needed the advice but the matter they spoke irritated him a bit.

A smile on his face as he called out to him in glee. "Nowaki! It's great to see you." His smile fell when Nowaki didn't turn to return the sentiment. "Hey Nowaki!" He sighed when he didn't react again and he reached out his hand.

Nowaki unsheathed his sword when he felt something tap his shoulder. spinning around, he held it in front of him. The point narrowly missed the person behind him. He recognized Misaki who had his hands up in a defensive stance. He tried keeping his exasperated groan hidden as he sheathed his sword back into its scabbard.

"You should know better than to sneak up on someone." Nowaki said as he hid the wagon with his large body.

Misaki huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You're the one who didn't listen to me!"

"I thought you were permanently placed in the South due to that one demon who attacked us."

Misaki hesitated when he explained while twiddling his fingers. "I am not used to the area. I returned to plead with the elders on placing me back in this area. I know nii-chan will be mad at me for returning so quick but I'm not comfortable there."

"I see." Nowaki heard Takahiro boasting about Misaki's transfer to a safer area, he wouldn't react well to this news.

Misaki saw a rope near Nowaki's feet and he pointed at it. "What is that for?"

Nowaki smiled weakly and came up with a weak excuse. "Nothing much, I was transferring something to another village." Misaki couldn't see him walk through the barrier and watch him disappear.

"Ooh! Can I help you!"

"No, that's alright. I can do this on my own." Nowaki told him as he hunched down and picked up the rope. "You can go now."

Misaki pleaded. "I insist. I don't want nii-chan to catch me the moment I get there."

Nowaki's eyebrow twitched. He had never had Misaki intervene in his business before. Unless the heat affected his usual patience. He didn't want Misaki catching Hiroki coming toward their direction. The moment Misaki escaped and went back to Heaven, he would reveal their secret. Misaki concealed no secrets from anyone who asked him on his missions. Especially, the elders who scared him enough to spill every detail.

His eyes spotted a rope on the side of the wagon. Wedged in between two watermelons and hidden from Misaki's view. He placed it there in case the main one he used ripped on him. He didn't think he had any use for it before Misaki showed up. A bubbling feeling of guilt went through him. He thought of tying Misaki or knocking him out. Maybe panic set in with each moment that passed.

Misaki just wouldn't leave.

"Are those watermelons!" Misaki exclaimed as he walked around Nowaki and stared down at them. "I have never had one before. Nii-chan always told me that human food didn't provide anything for our kind."

Screw it.

Nowaki snatched the rope from the wagon and pushed Misaki up against the tree. Misaki stared up at him in confusion as Nowaki started tying him up against the tree. Misaki realized his intention as he struggled against his hold. It was too late. Nowaki had enough rope to hold him against the bark and the rope was thick. He was stuck. Nowaki's movements made him freeze in shock but in amazement.

He didn't know such a huge guy moved so fast. "Nowaki! What is the matter with you?! Let me go!" Misaki yelled as he kicked his feet and Nowaki gritted his teeth when he got hit. "Let me go! What are you hiding?!"

Nowaki hissed through his teeth. "You are making a commotion, you will tempt other creatures to come around here."

Misaki panicked as he wiggled around. "Then, release me."

"Nope." Nowaki continued on tightening the rope around him and clicked his tongue. "Stop  _struggling_."

His tone made Misaki shut his mouth. He  _never_ witnessed Nowaki acting this way. His tone of voice changed into something unfamiliar. The replacement of Nowaki's gentle voice made him shiver. He didn't know what he did to make him change on him.

* * *

Nowaki clicked his tongue as he inspected the ropes. He broke out of his trance and he scratched the back of his head. Misaki stopped giving him a fight the moment he finished the last knot. He felt horrible. The angel had a terrified face the whole time he tied him up. He didn't beat him up or anything but his actions probably scared him. Not that Misaki garnered his distrust but he had to take every measure to ensure Hiroki's safety.

A shiver went through him when he felt a spike of dark energy. He saw fire and lightning shoot up in the sky. There were even more clashes of the power. Misaki yelped from the onslaught and Nowaki hovered his hand over the handle of his sword. The power levels grew higher and higher. Their presence grew closer to their location and Nowaki held back the urge to groan.

All that work tying Misaki up went for naught.

Then, the energy died out. Someone hurried through the trees toward them and Nowaki went into a fighting pose. He curled his hand onto the handle of the sword. Misaki didn't move a muscle. Nowaki thought Misaki didn't even breathe.

Hiroki went through the high bushes with a frown on his face. Nowaki had let out a sigh of relief when he saw Hiroki. Half of Hiroki's body was covered in blood. Most of it was in his spiked up hair. Some streaks of dust were on his face which he wiped off with the back of his hand. His eyes brightened a bit when he saw Nowaki standing in his line of sight. He almost ran to him but simply walked a little faster.

Hiroki wiped his bloodied hands on his black shirt which made Nowaki wrinkle his nose. "Alright before you say anything I-" Hiroki took notice of Misaki who wiggled in the ropes."Nowaki...why the hell is this _brat_  tied up?" Walking close to Misaki, the angel's face paled and his eyes widened in fear. "Don't tell me you are cheating on me with this weak one?" Hiroki tapped his foot in impatience.

Without thinking, Misaki yelled in complete shock. "What?! C-Cheating?" He turned his face away from Hiroki's death glare.

Nowaki exclaimed. "No! He almost caught me going inside of  _you-know-where_!" He whispered the last part as he pulled Hiroki into his arms,"I would never cheat on you, Hiro-san." His hands rested on his lower back as he leaned down for a short kiss.

The action made Misaki's eyes bug out, "You two are  _together_." Misaki cried as Hiroki broke the kiss, giving him a nasty grimace. "H-How?! He's  _evil_! Demons are the scum of the Earth." He flinched back at the intensity of Hiroki's glowing eyes.

Nowaki frowned at Misaki's declaration. "He is not evil. He makes some questionable choices but I can't judge him for it."

Hiroki shook his head. "Don't try to explain anything, Nowaki. You know for a fact this brat doesn't think for himself."

"I know but I am not going to listen to someone say anything bad about you." Nowaki declared with a disapproving frown.

Hiroki poked Nowaki's chest. "I have heard worse throughout my life. His words mean nothing to me. Thank you for the sentiment though," He locked their lips again and then pecked his cheek. "You are softening me."

Nowaki smiled lovingly as he caressed his cheek. The atmosphere went from tense to light. Nowaki's eyes focused on Hiroki and ignored the blood splatters which stuck to different parts on his body. He had grown used to it whenever they met and Hiroki had not washed up yet. They both had a distaste for the smell of blood but ignored it in favor of each other. Hiroki would wear his usual robe after they went inside of the lake. He interlaced their fingers and Hiroki didn't snatch his hand away.

Misaki went ignored and he knew it. He had some fear of Hiroki, he kept his any more comments to himself. He averted his eyes. It hurt him that Nowaki went to this _demon's_  defense. Angels backed each other up. He saw no wrong in his words. All the demons he met in the South were ruthless and cared for no one. Tricking demons into submitting every last bit of their self and destroying them in the process. The stories he heard came true in his eyes.

Yet, this demon had kissed Nowaki and kept their fingers interlaced. His scowl went into a slight smile when they stared at each other. Misaki's mind went on overdrive. He didn't understand this demon's tricks. He managed to ensnare someone so beloved in Heaven into thinking they were in love. This boggled his mind. It angered him as he clenched his hands into fists.

Hiroki turned his head toward Misaki as his hand glowed purple. Catching Misaki's attention and elevating his anxiety to the brink. This made his hands grasp the fabric of his robe. He assumed his demise and Nowaki wouldn't lift a finger to conceal their secret. He shut his eyes when Hiroki swiped his hand.

Hiroki rolled his eyes as he cracked his knuckles. "I'm not going to kill such a weak opponent. Open your eyes, brat." The swipe had cut the ropes off of Misaki and fell onto the grass.

* * *

Nowaki let out a sigh as he rubbed Hiroki's shoulders. "You should had warned him." He saw Misaki checking his body for injuries and noticed the ropes on the ground. "He looked petrified enough to shut his eyes like that."

Hiroki scoffed. "Your people must be slipping. This one is not able to survive without someone holding his hand." He looked up at Nowaki. "You shouldn't had tied him up in the first place. I thought you were quick on your feet?"

"I panicked. He wouldn't get the hint to leave. I have to say, tying him up was a bad idea." Nowaki admitted as he kissed Hiroki's cheek. "He even spotted the watermelons I got you. I couldn't leave those here, someone might had taken them."

Hiroki's eyes almost sparkled as he checked the area. Nowaki pointed the wagon out to him and he blissfully sighed. "I will be devouring every single one. Stay out of my way unless you want to get bitten."

Nowaki chuckled as he leaned close to Hiroki's ear. "Maybe I want to get bitten by you."

"You will regret giving me permission." Hiroki smirked as Nowaki grinned down at him.

Misaki made himself known as he exclaimed. "Get away from him!" The couple turned their attention to him. "Whatever you did to hypnotize him, stop it, now!"

Hiroki got an idea as he turned around and bit Nowaki's neck. "I don't think so. I quite like this one." Nowaki giggled at the bite, Hiroki bit him again. "He is exactly what I have searched for. I am not letting this one get away from me."

Misaki pointed his finger and exclaimed. "I will go to the elders and tell them to break this spell on him!"

Nowaki's jaw dropped as Hiroki's eyes glowed purple. "Please don't say anything, Misaki." He went around Hiroki to block him from Misaki. "Stay quiet. Don't say anything about us, please. I am  _not_  hypnotized."

Hiroki growled as he pushed Nowaki behind him. "I don't give a damn about myself but don't you dare jeopardize Nowaki. I am not losing another person I care about."

Nowaki's eyes widened as he wrapped his arms around him and burrowed his face into the crook of his neck. His panic lessened and he slacked onto Hiroki's back. Holding him tighter. He knew Hiroki loved him. Hiroki still had trouble with the affectionate aspects. He heard it whenever Hiroki assumed he fell into deep sleep. Hearing his earnest words made his face warm up. Although, it shouldn't had happened because Hiroki needed to prove their own relationship to someone.

Lifting his head, he peeked through his bangs and saw Misaki's paling face. He didn't know whether it was from fear or disgust over them. Nowaki loosened his grip on Hiroki's body but kept his arms around him. Hiroki was impulsive and might go after Misaki if he said anything wrong.

"What?"

Hiroki held back his temper when he said. "You heard me. This fool clinging onto me is one of the few beings in this Earth I give a shit about."

"Then, leave him alone." Misaki stated. "If you cared about him then you wouldn't risk getting him in trouble."

Hiroki curled his hands in the front of Misaki's robe and kept him close. "Let me guess, you are going to run to your people and reveal everything. You know exactly what they do to those who are guilty." Misaki avoided staring at him in the eyes. "Ah, so you do. Are you a coward, brat?"

"I am  _not_  a brat." Misaki clenched his jaw.

Hiroki grabbed Misaki's face with his other hand and made him stare him in the eyes. "You might as well be. The fact Nowaki defended you against Akihiko means you are not suited for the field yet."

"Hiro-san, I think he's heard enough." Nowaki told him as Hiroki let go of Misaki and backed away from him. "Misaki, promise me you won't say anything. It will be hard and this is a big secret to keep from anyone. You must be disgusted with us but-"

"I'm not disgusted. I get it." Misaki interrupted him. "I won't say anything." He turned to Hiroki and told him. "I'm sorry for the harsh words...Demon-san."

Hiroki's eyebrow twitched. "I'm  _not_  demon-san you little-"

Nowaki smiled as he intervened. "Thank you,"

Misaki bit his bottom lip and he gripped his robe. "Do you...really love him?"

"Yes, I do." Nowaki answered, no doubt in his voice. "I love him." Hiroki's face went bright red as he averted his eyes. "I really do."

"Nowaki...stop it already." Hiroki didn't remove Nowaki's hand from his shoulder and ignored the rapid beating of his heart.

Misaki turned around and didn't think twice before he ran off. This surprised Nowaki and Hiroki as they watched him leave. Misaki's wings formed on his back and he flew up in the sky. Tuning out everything and he held himself back from peeking over his shoulder. He didn't want to connect eyes with the demon called Hiro-san. The demon scared him. He didn't understand how Nowaki fell for such a being.

Before he broke through the clouds, he looked down and Hiroki stared right at him. His amber eyes pierced through his soul and he quivered. Misaki rubbed his hands while he turned his head away. Nowaki must had been blind in _love_  that he didn't notice Hiroki's scary demeanor.

Hiroki tore his eyes away from Misaki's retreating form. "I don't trust him."

Nowaki sighed as he lead Hiroki toward the wagon of watermelons. "I hate to say it, but I don't either. He is still young and he might wilt in the presence of the elders." He saw Hiroki rubbing his face with the back of his hands. "Is Usami-san going to come after us?"

"Not you." Hiroki informed him as he held the rope and started pulling it. "I warned him not to go after you. Although, I know you can handle yourself. Your little friend on the other hand...has no chance."

* * *

Misaki left the main room which housed all the elders. His heart kept racing in his chest and he rubbed his quivering hands. He managed to convince the elders to transfer him back to his original sector. Another angel had better capabilities to remain in the South of Japan. The one in question got called in and sent after the meeting was finished. It seemed the other angels complained to the elders before he arrived. They didn't hesitate in agreeing with his reasoning in his transfer.

He had no shame in coming back. His work plummeted because of the other angels and his inexperience affected him. Not that any of them put him under their wings and guided him until he got on his feet. In different areas, they had a certain matter of working he assumed. So, he held no ill will toward them but he was happy to get back to his old posts. Also, coming back to the trainees who clung to him when he came back. It made him feel important.

His pride took a hit when Nowaki's demon lover told him the truth. Denying it didn't help when he grew accustomed to Takahiro's guiding methods. Asking around for help and not learning from his own mistakes. Every single one of them made at least one before they found their own flow. No wonder the demon saw him as a joke. He only needed to stare at him to make him shiver.

Misaki bit the inside of his cheek. Nowaki stared at this Hiro-san with adoration. The demon comforted Nowaki with small touches and caresses. Misaki didn't miss them. Those amber eyes gave him the most frightening glances whenever he took moments away from Nowaki. His commentary was something that slipped out. Now that he ran the scene back in his mind they were uncalled for. Angels didn't spew such words when they exuded peace and love. No wonder they assumed he might hightail to the elders the moment he left.

He wouldn't betray Nowaki. Not over something as simple as love. Also, the demon scared him so he didn't want him to track him down in the future. Maybe under his bravado was a sweet demon who picked flowers.

Misaki sputtered as he pushed back his bangs. The image alone made him want to burst into laughter. There was no possible way that demon ever did anything of the sort. This was his own secret to keep inside of his mind. The demon might chase after him if he opened his mouth.

He noticed the confused faces of the angels passing him at his behavior. Playing it cool, he hurried past them and avoided looking at them in the eye.

Misaki tried not to bolt when he saw Takahiro hurrying toward him. He had no time anyway since Takahiro snatched his arm and pulled him away from the public. Dreading the lecture, Misaki braved it out as he let Takahiro push him inside of his room. He stood in the middle of the room and he breathed out.

"Why did you leave?" Takahiro cried out in a panic. "I thought I told you not to come around these areas for your job. Do you want to get killed?!"

Misaki collected himself when he explained. "The other angels didn't like my way of work and I didn't get along with them either. Besides, I know everyone around these parts. My job performance will rise and the elders will not have a reason to dismiss me."

Takahiro rubbed his temples. "Misaki, you don't understand. I fear that demon might come after you when he sees you again."

"In every section I get sent to I will encounter different demons and dark creatures. You taught me this when I was still a trainee. I know what to expect well..most of the time." He kept out the fact that Nowaki did most of the work on the fight with Akihiko. "I am comfortable around here."

"But-"

"Nii-san, please I love being around here. Unless, you have a good reason for me not to stick around here."

Takahiro pondered and his face went grim. His thoughts swirled in his mind. He found no way to articulate his feelings over this issue. Revealing his own disgrace made him shiver. The shame made him want to clamp up. Then again, he needed to protect Misaki from _that_  demon. All he asked was for a reason and a name would suffice.

"That demon's name is Akihiko Usami." Takahiro said. "The son of the highest demon in Hell. Stay away from him."

"Oh...so you know him?"

Takahiro snapped. "You asked for a reason. The title alone should make you want to switch. Do not ask me about this demon ever again." He stalked out of the room.

Misaki went toward the entrance and saw that Takahiro managed to get far away from him. This left him with more questions than answers. From his reaction and departure, Takahiro and Akihiko Usami had history together.  _Bad_  history.

A shiver went through him at the simulations on how they might had possibly met. Takahiro wasn't going to tell him anything. The fact he got the same name from Nowaki's lover meant they talked about the same demon.

Dread filled his body, he had to locate this demon and ask him.

TBC


	14. Answer me...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons and angels AU: A meeting between two different individuals changes many long standing views of each others way of life. Their forming friendship and affection catches the eyes of many who wish to do harm to them. As well as exposing many old secrets after centuries upon centuries of concealment. Angel!Nowaki Demon!Hiroki

Misaki spent days camping outside one of the openings of Hell. Vigilant in watching every single demon and guardian of death who wandered out. Crouched behind bushes a fair distance away. None of them paid attention to him. He used a masking potion to disguise his scent from anyone wanting a piece of him. One of the many lessons Takahiro taught him during training. His so called weak aura helped him out as well. He grew bored after the first day. Nobody of importance came out and Hiroki glanced at his direction whenever he left. He even stuck out his tongue before going on his way. Misaki didn't understand what Nowaki saw in him.

Giving up on the wait, Misaki thought on interrogating the next person who walked out. A young demoness appeared. Her long fiery hair in layers, red lips, and a black dress hugging the right places. Misaki hated to think it but she seemed easy to take down. Then again, assumptions lead to rookie mistakes. Her gender didn't toss away her ability to fight. From the stories Takahiro told him, demons matured through survival. Weak ones died during their childhood to teenage years.

Taking a chance, he jumped out of the bushes, his bow in one hand with his position to grab an arrow. He ran toward the demoness, she made no break for him. Turning her body to his direction, an amused smile on her delicate face. Her hand curled on her forearm, showing her pointy nails. Misaki stopped in front of her and pointed an arrow at her.

She tilted her head, chuckling. "What is a good little angel like you doing around here?" Misaki narrowed his eyes. "This is prime time for demons to roam about. I am giving you a fair warning before they start feasting on you." Peeking over her shoulder, she commented. "Any minute now." Misaki stayed put. "Ah, you haven't run off yet."

Misaki kept his voice leveled so he didn't stutter, he asked her. "Where is Akihiko Usami."

Second passed before she guffawed at his question. "You are asking for  _him_? Oh sweetness, please don't search for your death so soon. You are such a young cute little thing. At least live for a few more decades." She wiped her wet eyes and sniffled. "Such an amusing little angel you are."

Misaki snapped as he moved his bow toward her heart. "I'm Misaki,  _not_  little angel!"

She put her hands up with a snicker, "My mistake,  _little_  Misaki." Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she grinned at him. "Aikawa Eri at your service. A pleasure"

Misaki used her name before he asked again. "Aikawa-san, where is Akihiko Usami?"

Aikawa shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows. Usami is a mystery to everyone. Half the time, I know his location through rumors and slight appearances during my walks. You have a better chance having someone inform him that someone on Earth was looking for him."

Misaki lowered his bow when he asked. "Can you please do that for me?"

"Do what?"

"Tell Akihiko Usami that I am looking for him." Misaki persisted. "I can't go inside of Hell anyway, but you can go in there for me."

Aikawa pursed her lips, her nose wrinkled at the thought. "I haven't had a need to talk to Usami in centuries. He assumes anyone who goes near him wants to fight him. I have no need to ruin my dress over a senseless fight."

"Please." Misaki bowed and said with determination. "He knows my older brother and I need to ask him some questions."

"Why not ask your brother if this is so important? Usami will think this is a call for a challenge." Aikawa curled her hand to grip Misaki's robe, she stared at the cave from the corner of her eyes.

A spike of energy blasted through the cave. Aikawa pulled Misaki aside toward the trees and thick bush. Misaki covered his mouth with his hand to stop his instinct to scream. Aikawa kept a firm grip on him, exuding her aura, covering Misaki's pure energy.

Bands of demons ran past them in a fury. Some few strolled along, slow in their walk as they observed the area. They didn't know Misaki was in the area. Aikawa blocked Misaki's aura away from them with her darker one. When every single one left the vicinity, Aikawa let go of Misaki's robe. He stumbled away from her. Trying to fix up his clothing from any residue she left behind.

Aikawa rolled her eyes while she tapped her nails on her hip. Any imprint left behind on clothing was on purpose or over a period of time. Her little contact with Misaki's robe accumulated nothing from her. Watching him from the corner of her eyes, he fumbled with his bow and arrow. She could dispose of him without any problems.

This angel trusted her more than she expected.

She let out a sigh. "What's in it for me?" Misaki turned his sights onto her. "I am not going to become a messenger bird for anyone. I have better sense than to make my presence known to Usami."

Misaki insisted. "Please, my brother won't tell me anything. I tried a few times to ask him but he shuts me out every single time. It's just so out of character for him."

Aikawa arched a brow. "Whatever happened between them should be kept between the both of them. Besides, your brother already made it clear that he doesn't want to talk about it."

"Which is why I want to talk to Akihiko Usami." Misaki stated.

She exhaled, rubbed her temples, this angel remained stubborn. "Fine. Don't come trying to find me to complain over Usami attempting to kill you." Misaki pumped his fist in victory. "A piece of advice. Never let your guard down around him."

Misaki sighed in exasperation. "You don't have to tell me. I'm not a newbie!"

"Whatever you say, kid." Aikawa drawled while she checked underneath her nails, "Usami has disposed of enough demons where the rumor grew into the truth. In the old days, he stalked angels during the stirring of the next war. It didn't grow into fruition. I'm assuming he got notoriety in Heaven. The descriptions of his actions have transcended centuries."

"Well, I never heard of him before my brother told me his name." Misaki declared.

Aikawa muttered, "That's strange. A century ago, angels ran screaming when they heard the name. Any of the generals for that matter." She stared at Misaki, noticing him messing with his bow. "Either way, this kid's mouth might get him killed." She sighed as she walked back toward the entrance.

"H-Hey! Where are you going?!" Misaki cried dropping his arrow onto the grass, he picked it up fast.

"Doing  _your_  errand." Aikawa waved her hand as she kept on walking. "Try not to get slaughtered before he tries contacting you in person."

"Ah! Thank you!" Misaki exclaimed as he jumped up and down in excitement.

* * *

Misaki expected his return to Heaven as a short one. After all, he had to check the gate for Akihiko Usami. The elders bestowed him a whole week worth of work. When he finished, he hurried back to the entrance. Through his trek back to Earth, he made sure no one followed him. Running through the forest and hiding himself through the thick trees. Attentive of anything suspicious which rustled the bushes and the leaves.

After he left Aikawa, she assured him on transferring his message to Akihiko Usami. He still held some doubt that she went through with handling his request. She hesitated through their conversation. Unhappy on locating the wayward demon herself. In fact, she warned him of his callous and unapologetic attitude. Famous for slaughtering anyone who annoyed him or got on his bad side.

In fact, she warned him of his callous and unapologetic attitude toward anyone he met. Not a very kind demon.

Fear coursed through him. Maybe meeting up with an awful demon on his own was a bad idea. One person knew about his location and it was Aikawa. Although, he didn't know she cared enough to come in between them.

"You must be the brat Aikawa told me about." Misaki gritted his teeth at the mocking tone. "In fact, you have grown weaker then last time."

Misaki recognized the familiar voice from last time. It had not changed. The dark energy spewing from him almost made him cough from the intensity. He gulped to wet his dry throat. It didn't help him much. In fact, he grew nervous the more he didn't gaze at the demon. His back was exposed for an attack.

Grabbing his bow and arrow, he turned around. Aiming his weapon at Akihiko. Those purple eyes stared at him in discontent. Already bored. He even took a puff of his black pipe. Misaki's cringed at the strong smell of ash and smoke coming to his nose. Everything about this demon overwhelmed it. Making him want to run for the hills. Well, away from the hills which contained the gates.

"Heh." Akihiko snorted. "At least, you have sense to keep your weapon drawn on me. You have some common sense, for a weakling."

"I'm  _not_  weak! Why does everyone keep telling that to me?!" Misaki hissed, furrowing his brows in frustration.

Akihiko blew out a line of smoke in front of Misaki's face. Misaki coughed and tried keeping his eyes open. "It's the truth." Tilting his pipe upside down, he tapped the ash onto the ground. He glared at Misaki with distaste. "What do you want from me? I don't fight amateurs. I want someone up to my level."

Misaki glared at him and aimed his weapon to Akihiko's chest. "Just to answer some questions for me."

"If you're here to ask me about some angel I might have killed, you're out of luck. I don't remember anyone after I dispose of them." Akihiko checked his pipe, he contemplated changing the mixture he used for his tobacco. "I need a new blend, this is turning disgusting."

Misaki blurted out before he stammered. "You know my brother!"

Akihiko arched a brow. "Who?" He refilled his pipe and lit it up again. No use wasting it. "Can't be anyone that important."

"Takahiro Takahashi."

Akihiko grabbed a handful of Misaki's robe and pulled him up. "You know about Takahiro? Where is he?" He dropped his pipe onto the ground, ignoring the smell of burning grass.

Misaki struggled to get free as he uttered. "Y-Yes." His bow and arrow dropped to the ground in order for him to pull Akihiko's claws from his clothes. "Let me go! I can't go back with destroyed clothes. Someone will ask questions."

"You better start explaining what's going on with him." Akihiko growled. "I have gone centuries without hearing anything from him. I deserve an explanation."

* * *

They remained in the same pose. Akihiko's dark gaze peered into Misaki's widened pair. His nails burned through the fabric of Misaki's robe. The bright red light coming from Akihiko's hand caught Misaki's attention. In a frantic burst of panic, Misaki slapped Akihiko's face. The demon released him and Misaki fell onto the ground. No sounds came from Akihiko, he stayed composed as his hands twitched. Glowing even redder, his fury building up inside. Ready to slay Misaki on the spot.

Misaki got down on his knees and patted out the fire with his hands. Not even caring that he got slight burns on his palms. Misaki flinched. The soreness making itself apparent when he picked up his bow and arrow. He heard crackling. His eyes widened when he saw the familiar red hue. Bolting on his feet, Misaki held his weapon, ready to strike.

Akihiko cracking his fingers, creating sparks which fell onto the grass. "You made a big mistake. No one strikes me and lives."

Misaki's hands trembled, he gulped when he delcared. "Kill me and you won't know a thing about nii-san. You have no one else to tell you anything after I'm gone. Besides, nii-san will never forgive you when he finds out."

Akihiko narrowed his eyes, stating. "Explain."

"No,  _you_  explain." Misaki demanded. "I looked for you to ask  _you_  questions. Um—Please?" He added as an afterthought.

Akihiko went silent, observing the angel in front of him. Plenty of angels he met cowered under his feet. Pleading for their lives while trying to find a way for him to lower his ground. Such an occasion was rare. He learned from his mistakes when he was young.

"Can you stop making your hands glow?" Misaki asked, "I don't feel comfortable."

"Ask away." Akihiko retreated the glow from his hands, keeping them on his sides. "I don't have all day to play games." He crouched down and snatched up his pipe, grimacing at the lost tobacco.

"How do you know nii-san?"

Akihiko answered fast. "When he first received his wings, he caught me during a hunt around this area. Nothing special."

"From what Aikawa-san told me, you kill people on sight."

"As a brat, I killed anyone who stared at me the wrong way. Now, where is Takahiro?"

Misaki answered awkwardly. "He's in Heaven."

"Do you know when he's coming back?"

"Never." Misaki informed him. "Nii-san has not set foot out of Heaven. You might never have a chance to see him."

Akihiko sighed. "Good to know." He accumulated energy into his hands and blasted the ground.

Misaki coughed from the onslaught of dirt of grass blocking his face. When it dissipated, Akihiko Usami disappeared.

* * *

 

Hiroki pulled Nowaki on top of him. His red tail curled around Nowaki's waist, keeping him from escaping his grasp. Nowaki chuckled and caressed his face. Giving him the same old smile he grew accustomed to. All these peaceful days, calmed down Hiroki's spirit. He wanted nothing more than to remain on the grass, encased in Nowaki's embrace. Letting the angel shower him with affection and love. In earlier decades, he let no one catch him in such a vulnerable position. His back on the ground and no weapons at arms reach. Either way, his sharp nails served as a last resort.

This angel laying on top of him placed full trust in him. Permitting his sharp nails to trail along his body. At times, he pressed his nails a little hard. Nowaki bit along Hiroki's neck. A silent playful activity they developed over their time together. He touched any exposed skin. Relishing in the softness of Nowaki's skin. He pushed up Nowaki's toga and gripped his ass. Nowaki giggled and kissed him. Wrapping his long arms around the demon's neck.

Nowaki lifted himself up for a moment to shrug off the top part of his toga. During these times of relaxation, he sometimes took off his clothing. He helped Hiroki push up his shirt, giving him the hint to take it off. Hiroki sat up and removed his shirt moments later. They laid back down on the grass, sharing another set of kisses.

Hiroki teased him with a small smile. "If I didn't know any better, you want me to take all of my clothes off."

Nowaki kissed his cheek with a grin. "It's not fair that I expose my chest and you don't take off your shirt. I like the view from my position." He used his fingers to trail down Hiroki's cheek. "Very handsome."

"Flatterer." Hiroki muttered, Nowaki kissed his cheek again. "You're going to awaken something you don't want."

"Maybe I do."

Hiroki arched a brow and reached in between their bodies. "You have no clue what I am thinking."

Nowaki blushed and gulped. "I know. We have talked about this before."

"The old propaganda comes back whenever we try anything. All you have to do is tell me no, I'm not going to force you into anything." Hiroki reached around Nowaki and untied his belt. "We don't have to do much."

"Not too much?"

"No."

"O-Okay." Nowaki stammered as he removed his toga. "Nothing too extreme?"

Hiroki told him. "Just masturbation." He teased the corners of Nowaki's loincloth. "You control everything and I'll limit where my hands can go." He patted Nowaki's hips. "They will be right here, I might move up your back."

Nowaki nodded his head as he unzipped Hiroki's slacks and pulled them down. His eyes widened when he realized Hiroki wore no underwear. Hiroki's half erect cock twitched from the exposed air. When he touched it, Hiroki hitched his breath. He stared up at Hiroki in shock and Hiroki averted his eyes with a blush.

"No underwear?"

Hiroki scowled as Nowaki took his hand away. "There is no way I can put on a loincloth under these slacks." He raised up his hips and Nowaki slid them off. "Too tight." He tugged Nowaki's loincloth with a smirk. "Are you going to keep these on?"

Nowaki removed his own underwear and placed with the rest of their clothing. He hovered over Hiroki's nude body and bit his bottom lip. Contemplating on where to start, he decided on kissing Hiroki. Hiroki rubbed his sides, encouraging him to keep on going. Through each kiss, the temperature rose between the both of them. In between their kiss, Hiroki reached out his hand and pumped Nowaki's cock. It reacted through his ministrations Nowaki gasped out loud and gripped the grass underneath them.

Hiroki opened his legs wider and Nowaki got in between them. Lowering his body, Nowaki brushed their cocks together. They kissed again and moaned in each others mouths. Grinding their bodies together. He experimented on the speed and the pressure. Staring at Hiroki's facial expressions and moving according to what Hiroki reacted. He licked down his neck, nibbling behind Hiroki's pointy ear. Hiroki dug his fingers into his skin, avoiding the usage of his nails.

Hiroki turned his face toward Nowaki and bit his lip. Tugging it before he licked them. Nowaki connected their lips again and again.

Nowaki ground his hips downwards in a continual rate. Panting out Hiroki's name as their cocks brushed against each other. "H-Hiro-san!"

Hiroki gritted his teeth as he kept his hands on Nowaki's waist. Holding back on his usual strength, he curled his toes. Nowaki kept on rutting against him, controlling the speed and the pressure. He tilted his head back and let out a loud moan. As his peak reached up to the highest point, his mind went blank. He couldn't think of anything else. Other than the angel giving him pleasure.

He managed to ask Nowaki. "C-Close?"

"Y-Yes!" Nowaki cried as he kissed Hiroki's shoulder and sped up. " _Very_  close."

Hiroki wrapped his legs around Nowaki's butt and pulled him tight to his body. Their bodies molding together as they gave themselves into the sensations. They came at the same time, their stomachs coated in their cum. Nowaki's wings were released and feathers fell on top of their bodies. Hiroki caught it the moment it happened, he almost didn't believe it happened until he touched those wings.

Nowaki slumped on top of him. After they shared a deep kiss, they both caught their breath and relaxed in each others arms. Nowaki placed his cheek on Hiroki's chest. Sighing in bliss and ready to fall asleep.

Hiroki caressed Nowaki's white wings, relishing in the softness of the feathers. "Just so you know, you still have them." He moved his body to make himself more comfortable on the grass.

"Hmm?" Nowaki said in content, kissing Hiroki's skin.

Hiroki smiled lightly, he explained. "Your wings. You have them on your back and your halo. Nothing is any different."

"Good." Nowaki wrapped his arms around Hiroki and scooted up enough to burrow his face in the crook of Hiroki's neck. "Good...to know."

Hiroki ran his fingers through Nowaki's hair. "You were the one worried about having them fall off. This is your reaction to all that worrying?" Nowaki started to snore. "Damn, you've been real repressed for years Nowaki." He pressed his lips on the top of Nowaki's head.

Cherry blossoms floated down onto their bodies. He brushed them aside but most accumulated on Nowaki's bare back. He continued on caressing Nowaki's bare back. Staring up at the branches and the ever blooming blossoms which fell onto them.

Hiroki muttered as he closed his eyes. "I could get used to this."

TBC


	15. Oncoming confrontations...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons and angels AU: A meeting between two different individuals changes many long standing views of each others way of life. Their forming friendship and affection catches the eyes of many who wish to do harm to them. As well as exposing many old secrets after centuries upon centuries of concealment. Angel!Nowaki Demon!Hiroki

  
Nowaki controlled his irritation at the news. Tsumori continued on his pursuit in placing him in the guards. Each time he went to Earth, the angel pestered his superior in welcoming him into their flock. This prompted him to fast walk through the sectors toward the guard barracks. No use pushing this matter aside. He already predicted he might get called in for a conversation. Presenting himself to Kimura gave him a chance to talk to him. Tsumori might brandish a lie and continue on this charade. He wanted to end it before it solidified into a commitment.

His place with the healers suited him. He loved his job. His list of accomplishments branded him a top notch healing angel. This gave him leeway in how he conducted himself. Although, his identity remained a secret from humans. He stuck with the fear of reprimand. The ramifications of staying in the clouds brought out slight claustrophobia. He grew used to wandering the Earth. Feeling the grass underneath his feet and smelling the dirt after a storm. Small moments which painted a new scene of paradise. Life on the clouds bored him. He wanted nothing more than to stay on Earth.

He caught the tall and buff angel sparring with another guard. They focused on each other as they continued on clashing swords. The others cheered for their favored fighter. From what he overheard, Kimura remained the favorite. Of course, the lead of the guards never lost a fight. A stream of winnings to boast to the rest of the guards. Discouraging them from attempting to fight for the position.

With carefulness, he wandered closer to the group. He put up his guard. When anyone fought or sparred, it was better to keep a safe distance. The majority in the sidelines noticed him, grinning over at him. Enthusiastic waving came from them. Nowaki smiled lightly and politely returned the gesture.

Due to his original intent to talk with Kimura, he was oblivious to their continual stares.

He dodged the sword coming in his direction with ease. It landed into the clouds, stuck in the sudden solid mass. Kimura dropped his sword and they started using their fists. A different stance, the first punch landed on the opponents face. Everyone cheered and the volume grew even louder.

Nowaki saw an opening when Kimura jumped back to miss a punch, "Excuse me, Kimura-san." Nowaki piped up as both angels stopped. Frozen in place, their fists up in the air and kept their eyes on each other. "May I please have a word with you."

Kimura lifted his hand up to stop his opponent, pausing their session. The guard in question showed his annoyance but said nothing before retreating. He went to the other guards who muttered to each other on their newest arrival. A glance from Kimura had them scattering away to give them some privacy.

Kimura turned to Nowaki. His black eyes showed recognition. Nowaki met him once in passing, he wondered how he managed to remember him after decades. Kimura forgot the names of his own subordinates. Tsumori commented on how he once got addressed as Tatsumi. He identified faces better from what some other angels told him.

"Kusa! I wondered when you would come to see me." Kimura addressed Nowaki while he picked up his sword. "Tsuzuki insisted on transferring you here. The little pest has annoyed me each time he comes to see me. He needs to put more energy in his training. He's getting lazy. Anyway—when can you start? We are a bit cramped but I'm sure we can squeeze you in. You can start sparring someone right now."

Nowaki didn't miss a second, he explained. "I'm sorry but I would like to decline the offer to join the guards."

Kimura furrowed his brows in confusion, he sheathed his sword. "I don't understand. Tsuhiro kept on telling me that you wanted to transfer with us. He commented on your fighting experience. Your stature is perfect for this position as well."

"No. I told him months ago that I wanted to stay with the healers. I'm comfortable with my job to ever want to switch. Please understand my hands are for healing the sick, not to wound anyone. I use my sword in emergency situations only. I'm sorry you wasted your time trying to fit me in. Tsumori overstepped his grounds in resuming this venture."

"Good thing you told me. I was almost going to the elders and your superior pretty soon." Kimura hit his shoulders with his fist to release the strain on his muscles. "I don't understand why Tsumori did this but I'll have a talk with him."

Nowaki nodded his head in gratefulness. "Thank you for understanding. I just found out the news this morning. Another healing angel came to me, thinking I was transferring without telling anyone."

Kimura patted Nowaki's shoulder. "Well, if you ever change your mind, I'm always around. You know where to find me."

"Yes, Kimura-san, thank you." Nowaki bowed.

As Kimura walked away, Nowaki's nervousness melted away. Revealing the relief underneath and he let out a deep sigh. The thoughts on Tsumori's plan to transfer him to the guards resurfaced earlier that day. This wouldn't turn into a problem for him since he rejected the offer.

* * *

Hiroki managed to compose himself before he fell back onto the soft grass. Nowaki embraced him. Peppering his face with kisses and soft murmurs of compliments. Burrowing his fingers into Nowaki's black mane, he pulled him close for a kiss. Nowaki complied with glee. He inhaled Nowaki's clean scent. Herbs and clean air. It tantalized his senses. How he missed having him in his arms. A month passed since the last time he saw Nowaki. From what he heard, a new rise of disease crept in the humans. Killing off more people than the last surge of sickness.

Nowaki's good mood surprised him. Throughout the journeys through the humans, Nowaki still held some empathy and sadness for them. At times, he laid on his lap and napped through the day. Leaving him to caress the hair from his face and watch the clouds float through the sky. Under no circumstances did he ever thought of this type of future. Content in having someone in his arms. Trusting him without a fault.

His tail curled around Nowaki's waist. Almost with a mind of its own. Reflecting his playful instincts as he continued on kissing Nowaki. Giggles escaped the angel as his tail tickled his sides. He grinned in their kiss and ran his fingers through Nowaki's hair.

After ending their kiss, Hiroki asked with a slight grin. "What has you in such a good mood? Hmm? You practically bolted into my arms when you saw me. Not that I mind, you do the same each time we meet."

Nowaki cuddled against his chest as he declared. "I rejected the offer to enter the guards."

Hiroki furrowed his eyebrows. "I thought you already did that.."

Nowaki shook his head. "I talked with their leader. Explaining my stance on the issue and how I wanted to stay in my same position." He laid his cheek on Hiroki's chest. "Tsumori continued on telling him that I might enter the guards without my consent. This annoyed me more than anything. I had to fix everything before it went any further."

Hiroki scoffed. "Who does he think he is?" He gripped the back of Nowaki's robe. "He's nothing to you. He can't make any decisions on your behalf. Did you at least yell at him? Reproach him for talking for you?"

"You know I don't yell at anyone." Nowaki sighed. "I might just confront him and ask why he did it. No guard leaves Heaven except in the throes of war. It hasn't happened in centuries which caused such a huge backup in guards than needed. Although, any excuse he might give me wouldn't suffice. I love coming down here onto Earth."

"Avoid him. Simple. You two are not in the same sector. Heaven is a huge place." Hiroki stated as he tugged the back of Nowaki's hair. "I'm guessing he wanted  _you_  to join for his own reasons. Who knows. He might want to just fuck you or something."

Nowaki lifted himself up, his jaw dropped. "There's no way he wants me. He's nice to all the angels. I never saw him mistreat or talk back about anyone."

Hiroki poked Nowaki's forehead and teased him. "You're too oblivious to notice certain things. I might have to see him interact with you to get a better clue. I have nothing to fear, right?"

Nowaki smiled. "Nothing at all." He nuzzled their noses. "You're the one I want. You're also oblivious, you didn't know I wanted you."

Hiroki averted his gaze, his face warmed up. "Good. I can't reach Heaven anyway. I have the wings but I won't have passage. You're lucky I'm not the jealous type."

Nowaki massaged Hiroki's sides. "Are you sure about that?"

"Takes too much effort." Hiroki explained. "It seems ridiculous that I march over to someone just because they might like you. I trust you to defend yourself without needing me. You're not a weak individual."

Nowaki kissed Hiroki real quick. "I give you the same trust when you go back home. I never had a doubt in my mind." He sat back onto his feet and noticed the glow on the gem necklace. "Does it always glow like that?"

Hiroki scrunched up his brows and checked down at his chest. "Damn...I stopped noticing after it kept on glowing for weeks. I cover it with some dark energy to dull it down. It gets warm when I get near father."

"Why is that?"

Hiroki ran his fingers over the smooth surface of the jewel. "Not surprising. This is a demon's version of a wedding ring. My mother wore it throughout the time she was with my father." He frowned. "It's broken all over. I can only guess mother broke a piece off to keep on her person."

Nowaki reached out his hand and touched the necklace. "I'm surprised it doesn't hurt me. We've held each other and you pull me over you."

"Hmm?"

"The first day we met I burned my hand with your dagger. Dark objects are poison to angels." Nowaki laughed nervously. "A mistake on my part but I'm lucky it left no dark residue on my hand. No one suspected a thing."

Hiroki hitched his breath. "I forgot about it. Sorry." He tucked some stray hairs behind Nowaki's ear.

"You apologized a long time ago." Nowaki grasped Hiroki's hand, he kissed his palm. "I see it as a lucky day."

"Lucky? How exactly?"

"We met on the days after you caught me asleep." Hiroki's eyes widened. "Hiro-san, I'm not so dense that I can't sense someone in my presence. I just let you believe that I kept on sleeping."

"Ha! Your first instinct should have been to strike me." Hiroki said in amusement. "Such a trickster. I'll have to keep an extra eye on you."

Nowaki laid beside Hiroki, pulling him into his arms. "With pleasure."

* * *

In the morning, Hiroki woke up when he heard Nowaki swearing under his breath. On other occasions, he would laugh at Nowaki's break of character. Angels kept up a pure persona. The image humans created for them went beyond the impossible. Through his travels, they varied throughout the world. He learned most of the languages he encounter to listen in on their conversations. They labeled a spiritual beings status high enough where failure brought the image crashing down. Not enough to dispel any preconceived notions.

Their relationship crept up into more devious territories. He went slow with Nowaki. Each breach came through talking about it with him first. He still held onto the fear of Nowaki running off. Akihiko's story passed through his mind. Nowaki's brain washing came out through the stiffening of his body. Any other sign of affection calmed the angel into putty in his arms.

A simple kiss did wonders.

Turning to his side, he watched Nowaki scrambling around. A fresh new bruise on the back of his shoulder. Nowaki managed to heal himself before he returned home. There were times he forgot and he inspected them when they said goodbye.

Hiroki crinkled his nose. "Nowaki? What's going on?"

Nowaki jumped, not expecting Hiroki to wake up from his sleep. "I have to go to a village real quick. Wait here. Then again, I won't feel bad if you leave and go back home." He set an illusion on himself. "I'm so sorry, I forgot I was supposed to go to the village after I told you the news. I might not get reprimanded through hurrying into the village right now."

Hiroki watched in amusement as Nowaki left the halo on his head. "You're missed covering something huge." Nowaki tilted his head, Hiroki pointed at the top of his head. "A certain blinding halo which will destroy your little costume."

"Thank you." Nowaki waved his hand over his head and it disappeared. He worked on the rest of himself and checked on certain areas.

Hiroki collected his magic and cast a mirage over his body. His outer appearance changed into a normal human. His once amber eyes lightened into a brown hue. His tail and horns were hidden. His stained hands turned into the normal tone of his skin. Nails regressed, leaving them short and without a sharp point. His clothes changed from his usual black clothing into a yukata.

He noticed Nowaki added an extra layer of clothing on top of his yukata. A bag of materials appeared on the floor beside his feet. Nowaki turned to him. His eyes widened when he soaked in his new appearance.

"You're coming along with me?" Nowaki inquired, he inspected Hiroki's glamour and he found no error. "I would've thought you wanted to go home. You don't come along with me when I do my job."

Hiroki shrugged his shoulders. "I got interested. Just call me your assistant. I don't have to do much, just hand you the  _supplies_  you carry along with you." He lead Nowaki toward their usual path. "Lead the way. Don't keep me bored."

Nowaki shrugged his shoulders. "You can't complain."

"Yes, I can." Hiroki nipped Nowaki's back, Nowaki shivered. "Better than going back home. You will let me accompany you, right?"

"Alright, you can come along." Nowaki wagged his finger. "You have to conduct yourself well with humans."

Hiroki scoffed. "They are indulged in their own selfish lives. My presence won't bother them too much. I thought you were in a hurry?"

"That's right! C'mon, let's go!" Nowaki gripped Hiroki's arm as they hurried through the barrier of the lake.

* * *

Takahiro bowed in front of the elders. His body trembled in nervousness. No one ever retracted their certifications, not unless the angel in question did a heinous crime against the humans. Misaki did no such thing. He interacted with a demon. A demon he pleaded to him not to search for and face on his own. He knew from Misaki's guilty expression that he met Akihiko Usami. This hurt him deep in his heart. Misaki used to listen to his every word. Now, he wandered off the path he described for him.

Misaki might resent him for this decision. He prepared himself for a confrontation. One where the both of them would end up losing communication. He cringed at the end result. Misaki grew more spirited through each day and wouldn't take this decision without a fight. He wanted Misaki to understand his perspective. Akihiko Usami had ulterior motives through befriending someone.

After this meeting, Misaki will grow to appreciate his involvement. The young always thought they knew everything about life. They knew nothing. No one looked out for his best interest when he first started. Make the right decisions where nothing threatened his safety and his innocence.

An existence under the right path.

He declared without a waver in his voice. "Call Misaki back into Heaven." He kept his head down, he heard the scattered murmuring from the elders.

A deep voice inquired. "Your reason?"

Takahiro lifted his head. "I made a mistake of certifying him. I'll take any repercussions for pushing him onto the field. The southern angels gave me their reports and think he needs another century to stay here."

"From the reports we received from his current sector, his help with the healers has gone well. He has kept any dark entities from entering the main towns which offer tokens"

A new voice piped up. "The southern angels want no mistakes or fumbles through their rosters. It was a mistake sending a new recruit to them." Their face was hidden with a pure white hood. "You requested Takahashi Misaki to enter their sector. Declaring his overall proficiency in accomplishing his tasks."

Takahiro gulped. "I know. I thought he would benefit from a structural sector. I was wrong. All my observations about him were wrong."

The deep voice asked. "Why should we call the new one back? For all intents and purposes, he hasn't broken any laws. Your other  _brothers and sisters_  have done well in their duties. What's different about Takahashi Misaki?"

"He met a demon and didn't kill him!" Takahiro declared. "He told me one day that a demon tracked him down during his duties."

Another voice said. "Takahashi Misaki told us about this in his report. Describing an encounter where he managed to hit the demon in the chest with his arrow. It is backed up though Kusama Nowaki's report. Kusama Nowaki chased away the demon and did little damage to their area to alert the humans. They did right in their approach."

"Anything else?"

Takahiro resigned. "I have...nothing else."

"Motion is denied." The main elder slammed his hand onto the table, the noise echoed through the dark room. "Takahashi Misaki will remain on the field. When he causes a felony through our laws, then come back to us.  _Dismissed."_

* * *

"Hey! Tsuki! Wait! I have to talk to you about something." Kimura bellowed from a distance.

Tsumori cringed. Stopping in his tracks, he turned around and faced Kimura. A planted smile on his face. He hated this whole wrong name issue. The fact their leader confused the names of all his underlings was ridiculous. He thought some of them made a huge impression but so far no one accomplished this feat.

He inquired with a steady voice. "Yes, sir? Is something wrong?"

Kimura stopped in front of Tsumori, he had a deep frown on his face. "I want an explanation. Kumi talked to me and said he wouldn't join the guards at all. I thought you said he was eager to go. I was willing to do this favor for you just to have him tell me no."

Tsumori's eye twitched. "Ah...so he went straight to you. I thought he would've come to talk to me instead. He talked to me last time."

"Listen, I have gotten plenty of requests because someone wanted a fuck buddy. Granted, I did this once when I first got my position. A few times when they worked out in my favor. It works when the person is willing to come in, already has in interest in you and wants to stay holed up here. Don't try this again unless you know the person wants to come in."

Tsumori gave him a stiff nod. "I understand. I'll get approval before trying to get someone in. I apologize for wasting your time." In his opinion, Kimura wasted his time chasing angels who wanted nothing to do with him.

Kimura patted Tsumori's shoulder, he sighed. "Such a shame, his built is perfect for this field. His stint with the healers is such a waste. No one can do anything without an approval from the person." He heard his name called, he told Tsumori. "Excuse me, see you later Tsuhiro."

Tsumori gritted his teeth. "Of course, Kimura-san." He stalked away, not even looking back at Kimura. His anger might appear on his face and bring up questions on his change of mood.

He couldn't get angry at Nowaki. After all, the man insisted on denying his good graces. Nowaki's naive personality might help him in playing up his apologetic farce. Not that he cared about saying sorry. Nowaki's free lifestyle broke into his plans in bedding him. Through each assignment, Nowaki wasted weeks before he returned to give his report. He didn't stay long before he went back onto Earth.

This set back didn't benefit him. His compatibility with the healers wasn't close to warrant a transfer. Kimura never transferred any of his guards unless they showed a lack of fighting ability. Making his interactions with Nowaki pretty limited.

Then again, he could always trick Nowaki into an empty space.

TBC


	16. Images of death...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons and angels AU: A meeting between two different individuals changes many long standing views of each others way of life. Their forming friendship and affection catches the eyes of many who wish to do harm to them. As well as exposing many old secrets after centuries upon centuries of concealment. Angel!Nowaki Demon!Hiroki

The moment they entered the village, Hiroki covered his face with the sleeve of his yukata. His now light brown eyes narrowed. The stench of death filled the air. So thick and consuming that he wondered on the arrival of the guardians of death. Through the waves of sickness rampaging the towns of the world, those beings caught no breaks. Their outward appearance gathered mystery through the demons in Hell. None of them saw one up close. His own father avoided them. Their rough hoods masked their faces but allowed their glowing eyes to contrast in the darkness.

A familiar shiver traveled down his spine.

Hiroki located the source, he uttered out loud. " _Shit._ " His sudden declaration caught Nowaki's attention as he turned to the same direction. Their attention stayed on the apparition which floated through the homes.

One of the guardians of death appeared on Hiroki's left, its face turned to him, nodding toward his direction. A bony hand gripped a rusty aged sword, pointed at another direction, bright red eyes met his gaze. Just him. It _saw_ through his disguise. Hiroki tipped his head back and acknowledged the reaper. A line of spirits followed behind it, some wailing their distresses. Their cries went unanswered as they trailed along.

From his experience, reapers spoke no words. He attempted to spike a conversation during his teenage years. Trying to disperse the overall idea of guardians of death having no voices. No luck. Whenever he encountered one, they remained tight lipped and used their hands to communicate. Their eerie atmosphere kept anyone wanting to harm them at bay. He lost this fear after seeing them on more than one occasion.

Nowaki caught more reapers floating through the town. He muttered in open despair. "They never come around so early...I can't believe this."

Hiroki curled his hand on the fabric of Nowaki's yukata. "A majority of the humans have died in this town. More of them will arrive as the day passes on." Nowaki's hands formed fists. "You couldn't have done anything to prevent this from occurring. Haven't you seen this type of thing before?."

"N-No. Not to me, it happened other angels I knew back in Heaven. I have the easiest assignments without these apparitions coming in." Nowaki licked his lips. "They usually come around after angels leave the towns for the day. I have never seen one this close before."

Hiroki observed the area, his hand remained on Nowaki's body. "This is too early for them. I can only guess that the humans died during the night, enticing them to break their routine and come here." He rubbed down Nowaki's back. "Before you ask, I sense no demons running toward this town. At all."

Seeing a silver lining through this dilemma, Nowaki sighed. "I'll have to add this little set back in my report. I don't think my superiors will reprimand me over calculating my margin of time a few hours later than usual. Either way, they might inquire on the strength of this disease."

At the sight of more spirits following the death god, Hiroki whistled. "Damn, this one disease really grabbed more of these humans than usual. It's not as huge as the wipe out in Europe. That one really filled the air with anguish and despair. A big supper for the demons in that area."

Nowaki hitched his breath, the recollection caused him to cringe. "Ah yes, we got the reports from the angel sectors from Europe. The damage surprised them enough where more sectors sent any recruitment to help."

"Not that it helped anyway." Hiroki hauled the handle of the bag over his shoulder. "Is there any other villages you have to go to?"

Nowaki responded. "I have to check this whole perimeter before going on my own business. There's another town a few miles from here. It's a tad bigger than this one but in my status report, the main doctor left to treat others in the North."

Hiroki smacked his lips in disapproval. "That was a stupid move."

Nowaki nodded his head. "I agree but it gives me an opportunity to come in and help. A town with a doctor gives healers a small margin of a chance to integrate. Their trust is placed on someone they personally have a connection. I'm an outsider."

Hiroki scoffed. "If they want help, they will agree to anyone going through their town." He tapped Nowaki's chest with his knuckles. "You already have the charm to gain the trust of humans anyway."

Nowaki snorted, hiding his mouth with his closed fist. "Not at all! I don't have _any_ charm."

"So modest." Hiroki lead Nowaki toward the path. "There's no way you're oblivious to the lingering stares from the young ladies in these towns."

"Of course not, I let them down gently." Nowaki scratched his cheek. "Plenty of girls have confessed to me but, none of them sparked any interest in me. I see it as instant infatuation, it doesn't last long anyway. I leave the town in a day or two. No chance of anything to built up to form of a relationship."

"I'm guessing when you return they have moved onto another suitor?" Nowaki nodded his head. "Good."

Nowaki asked him as he fiddled with his fingers. "I was wondering...have you seen under the hood of a death god? What does it look like?"

"No. No demon in Hell has seen anything. A rumor went around where the Demon King saw the true image. It is unfounded but considering the Demon King had unlimited power, it might hold some validity. I tried when I was younger and naive to believe I might catch one unguarded. Let's just say that I never tried grabbing onto the hood." Hiroki grimaced and fiddled with the sleeves of his yukata.

Nowaki leaned close to Hiroki's face. "Did they scare you off or something? I'd never thought I would ever hear that you admit you were afraid."

Hiroki reached up his hand and brushed Nowaki's bangs from his face. "I have fears. I learned to hide them well enough to keep on surviving. Which I'm sure you had to do after a certain point during your training."

"Any concerns went unheard after I realized no one helped me. My mentors told me to handle them on my own." Nowaki worried his bottom lip. "I mean..my struggles are different than yours. Vastly different. Insignificant in comparison"

"You shouldn't undermine your fears." Hiroki fiddled with strands of Nowaki's hair. "I wouldn't make fun of you for them."

"I know." Nowaki smiled as he wrapped his arms around Hiroki.

Hiroki got on his toes, wrapping his arms around Nowaki's neck. Nowaki hunched down, his smile widened as crinkles formed on the corners of his eyes. Hiroki pressed their lips together for a brief contact. Nowaki's arms tightened around Hiroki, pushing their bodies close together.

Nowaki licked his lips, inquiring with a shy smile. "Can I have one more?"

* * *

Nowaki handled the herbs infused with his healing magic. The young parents stood in the background, whispering between each other. Their young child laid on his side, wheezing hard and struggling to breathe. From the sounds of the cough, the lungs were clogged with mucus and fluid. He tried not to show his concern, the parents already badgered him to heal their child when the father caught sight of him. He managed to heal a handful of people before they found him in the house next door.

The father showed his impatience for his slow assessment. His tapping foot and snarky comments when Nowaki checked the vitals of the child. The comments helped contribute nothing but Nowaki kept it to himself. He ignored him for the best part. The mother tried placating him, informing him on the lack of doctor in their town.

Nowaki's limitations in healing the sick made it impossible for him to heal the individual to the fullest extent. He guided them toward that path. Limitations where his superiors asked how much power they added to the medicine.

Hiroki handed Nowaki materials or herbs he kept in separate papers in a large bag. The intensity of some of the herbs made him wrinkle his nose. He kept his ears open to what the humans said and tried keeping his tongue in check. He volunteered in accompanying Nowaki through his rounds. A silent assistant who shadowed Nowaki and helped him through the motions.

At the utterance of the father's last sentence, Hiroki came to Nowaki's defense.

Hiroki growled. "If you care for your child, _shut_ your mouth."

The man's face twisted in anger, his wife held onto his arm when he took a step to the smaller man. "How dare you?!"

Hiroki glared at him, the couple jumped at the intensity. "Remember, we are doing this for _free_. You have no doctor in this town or someone to treat the sick. Consider yourselves lucky that we even wandered past this town." He used his thumb to motion to Nowaki. "He wanted to come into this disease ridden place. Be grateful."

Nowaki kept his hand on the child's forehead, letting a small smile form on his face. His back faced them, allowing him to show this reaction. To his relief, the child responded well to the medicine and his healing magic coming from his hand. The physical response of lack of wheezing helped in his favor. Standing up on his feet, he gave the child one last inspection. His action didn't go unnoticed.

The young woman hurried to Nowaki's side, assuming his offense at her husband's comments, she wanted to prevent him from leaving. "I apologize for my husband. This is our only child and the current deaths have scared us. We heard the devastation from the town in the South and we grew paranoid."

Nowaki looked down at her without any sign of anger toward them. He heard worse in the past. "He should recover in a week." Handing her a small pouch, he informed her. "Brew this until the color turns a light green. Give it to him at daybreak and sunset."

Hiroki noted Nowaki's leveled voice whenever he addressed the humans. Each house they visited garnered the same result out of the angel. Nowaki's charm showed through his smile and bedside manner but his voice betrayed none of his emotions.

"Of course!" She gripped the bag of medicine close to her chest. "Again...I apologize in behalf of my husband." Her husband remained to the side, not saying a word to anyone in the room.

Hiroki strolled past her and collected Nowaki's supplies. He rolled his eyes at her attempt at dissipating the situation. She did nothing wrong but tried speaking for someone who stayed in the background in silence. He watched her with no embarrassment from his behavior whatsoever. His arms crossed over his chest while he sneaked glances at their child. Hiroki but his tongue as he hauled the large bag on his shoulder.

Nowaki finished speaking with the mother. He gave her extra instructions for the comfort of the child. Purposely ignoring the father whenever he tried saying anything. Nowaki and the mother bowed as they said their goodbyes. Hiroki walked alongside him as they left the small home. They worked on a few more homes. Nowaki tended to the sick and handed the parents or spouse a bag of his medicine. Hiroki stood on the background, holding back any snarky remarks when the humans undermined Nowaki.

All in all, Hiroki's social battery ran out two houses before they left the town. He wanted nothing more than to sleep or step foot into the lake's barrier and collapse. He whispered it to Nowaki who understood and took over the conversations. Letting him linger in the background and grimace. Nowaki tried hard not to laugh in front of the family.

Passing through a thick area of the forest, Nowaki pulled Hiroki into a loose embrace. Hiroki dropped the bag of supplies onto the ground, they disappeared with their purpose fulfilled. He kissed the top of Hiroki's head and Hiroki placed his forehead on his chest. Nowaki let out a deep sigh of content.

Nowaki sported an amused smile. "Thank you so much for helping me today."

"No problem." Hiroki mumbled. "Who knew interacting with humans was so exhausting..."

Nowaki ran his fingers through Hiroki's hair. "You didn't have to defend me. The glare you showed was enough to scare the husband. The man stayed quiet after you spoke up."

Hiroki scoffed. "I wasn't going to stand there and let him insult you. Don't tell me you let these pathetic humans insult you during your job. I wouldn't last long in your shoes. I don't tolerate disrespect of any kind."

Nowaki held him tighter, hiding his face in the crook of Hiroki's neck. He snickered. "I can't get my job done through starting arguments with the humans. Better to finish what I can and then move onto the next one. After all, they forget my face and remember a doctor visited them. Their insults don't get to anymore. When I acquired my wings, I felt hurt, nowadays I tune them out."

"Heh, so even you have your little sneaky sides." Hiroki taunted, light humor in his voice as he patted down Nowaki's hair. "I need to sleep."

"Good news. I have no more villages to visit."

"Thank everything that is merciful."

* * *

Nowaki settled underneath the cherry blossom tree, laying back onto the grass with his hands behind his head. He propped his sword against the tree, not too far away from him. Hiroki curled against him. His tail curled around Nowaki's waist and fell asleep without any prompting. Hiroki's light snored reached Nowaki's ears. After spending a day with humans, Hiroki expressed his limit in talking with them. This left him to pick up the conversations while Hiroki handed him his materials in silence. His demeanor unsettled the humans enough not to talk with Hiroki.

Removing his hand from under his head, he reached down and ruffled Hiroki's hair. Curling some strands with his fingers and releasing them. Inhaling the forest air, he stared up at the pink blossoms. Never changing. Staying the same and blooming new flowers each time he arrived. Falling again and again onto their bodies. Sticking to their hair and onto their clothes. He stopped questioning the oddity of the tree.

The sunset changed the pink hue of the petals into a darker pink. Highlighting a red orange hue onto the plants and the demon sleeping on his chest. Hiroki lightly snored away and gripped onto his body. Mumbling some intangible sentences which brought Nowaki to snicker away.

He enjoyed this time of the day. The activity settled down and blended with the natural sounds of the forest. A blue sky turning into a mesh of colors, bringing forth the darkness of the night. He'd yet to spend the night with Hiroki, the demon left to go home the moment he woke up from his nap. He wanted to show him the moon and the stars. Check for the constellations and kiss under the moonlight.

Anything to keep him from leaving him again.

The serene air grew stagnant. An oncoming dark energy shot through Nowaki, he sat up on his butt. Hiroki's arm and tail still remained on him. He never experienced such a raw and destructive energy. In such a protective and neutral area, he thought anything dark stayed out while animals and a select few came inside. Searching around, he saw an oncoming figure. Dark black locks flowed through the wind, sunlight glinted off the armor, horns protruded from the forehead, and a pair of golden eyes brought a shiver to his spine.

Reaching back to the tree, he grabbed his sword, unsheathed it and pointed it to the demon. He managed to remove Hiroki's tail and arm off of him as he stood up on his feet. Glaring at the demon who continued on walking toward them. He cursed his shaking hand. The energy washed over him, a pure dark energy accumulated from centuries upon centuries of living.

A realization came into his mind. This demon was powerful enough to break through the barrier.

"What do you want?" Nowaki demanded. "You shouldn't be in here."

Soshi continued on striding. He tried hard not to openly mock at the tone the angel spoke against him. The tone of voice didn't match the intent. He settled with a glare. This caused the boy to jump but he kept his defensive stance. The energy he exuded was impressive. More than he expected for an angel in current times. Contained to the point where he used enough to get through his duties.

He diverted his eyes to stare at the area, nothing change since he last stepped foot in there. The lake stayed crystal clear, animals wandered about, and the gigantic blossoming tree still produced flowers. Nostalgia filtered through his mind. He recalled memories of his beloved and the days they spent together wading through the lake. She enjoyed the water more than laying on the grass.

It seemed Hiroki gained his preference for the grass. Although, he heard from Hiroki that he enjoyed swimming through the lake. Well, standing in the water to the point where it reached his waist. Hiroki didn't even know how to swim.

Nowaki yelled. "I will give you one chance to leave or you will give me no choice but to attack!" He hoped the demon took the threat to heart and left. After such a long day, his energy was depleted.

Soshi broke from his thoughts. He wanted to claim otherwise but he shut his mouth. He wanted to see what else this angel did to protect his son. The curiosity of this angel who stole his son's heart nagged him. Seeing the angel and interacting with him would give him the man's character. Despite Hiroki's honesty, he might leave out certain details about his lover to keep him from seeking him out.

"I'm warning you!"

Soshi stopped right in front of the point of the sword. His eyebrow arched as he inspected the angel before him. He lowered his aura on purpose. The young angel gave him a speculative glance but kept his sword up. Not straying away from his eyes. An impressive feat. Most of the demons he fought over the years avoided staring at him directly in the eyes. This brought up his ego a substantial amount.

Through all the commotion, Hiroki snored away. Patting the area beside him, his face scrunched up. He missed his biggest heat source but didn't wake up from his sleep. He rolled onto his back and his shirt rolled up, exposing his stomach to the air. His tail even swayed over the grass.

"Once he sleeps, nothing wakes him up. He says he is a light sleeper but don't believe such a thing." He stared down at Hiroki from beyond Nowaki. Wrinkling his nose at the drool dribbling from the corner of Hiroki's mouth. "Ever since he started coming onto Earth, he comes back refreshed. More than he ever did when he takes power naps back in our home."

Nowaki gulped. "How do you know that? Who are you?"

The demon's lips formed an amused smirk. "Isn't it obvious? I'm Soshi Kamijou. Hiroki's father."

TBC


	17. Distant past and the near future...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons and angels AU: A meeting between two different individuals changes many long standing views of each others way of life. Their forming friendship and affection catches the eyes of many who wish to do harm to them. As well as exposing many old secrets after centuries upon centuries of concealment. Angel!Nowaki Demon!Hiroki

Nowaki's grip slacked and his sword fell onto the grass.

He watched the centuries old demon hide his smirk with the back of his claws. His lips peeked from the sides. Soshi's amused pair of golden eyes flashed and his armor clanked from his movements. Embarrassment filled Nowaki's body at having mistaken Hiroki's father as someone else. Hiroki told him in a previous conversation of his father's ability to enter the lake. This clear and peaceful lake where two different beings fell in love. The exact location where he fell in love with Hiroki.

The demon Hiroki described paled in comparison to the intimidating man in his presence. He received no in depth detail where he knew the appearance of the infamous man in question. Scrambling to pick up his sword, he sheathed it and glanced at Hiroki. He remained asleep throughout this whole interact. Not that he was surprised. Hiroki slept through any loud noises.

Soshi tapped his nails on his forearm, causing a clicking sound due to his armor. "So...you're the who enraptured my only son." He walked closer and circled the nervous angel who gripped the cloth covering his chest. "Taller than I expected. Less corrupted. No visual scars marring the skin."

Nowaki shrunk from the scrutinizing words. Worrying his bottom lip, he remained still. Hiroki's father eyed every inch of him. Muttering about his aura and physical appearance. The demon didn't insult him. In fact, he complimented certain aspects about him. Hiroki's father seemed to have approved of him for his son.

Nowaki interrupted his commentary. "Excuse me, sir, but, why are you here?"

"Right to the point." Soshi halted in front of Nowaki and stared him right in the eyes. From the intensity, Nowaki averted his gaze. "Never avert your gaze to anyone." He tilted his head back to get a better image of Nowaki's face. "You care about my son, correct?"

Nowaki responded, firm in his stance, he nodded his head. "More than anything. Even if you didn't approve of this relationship, I wouldn't give him up."

"Do you understand the ramifications of such a relationship? An angel and a demon, falling in love, under the gaze of both sides. The trickling fear of someone discovering such a secret and hiding in plain sight?"

"A little bit." Nowaki admitted, his gaze downcast onto the vibrant grass. "It's best to forget such a horrible reality for our brief moments. They creep up on me whenever I go back to Heaven. This is an inevitable truth. No matter how hard we try, we cannot stop someone from discovering us. Such thoughts...don't bring any joy during..."

"During the act of sex and intimacy."

Nowaki's face turned in a deep red as stammered out. "W-We haven't gotten there yet! Maybe some heavy moments but not that far..."

Soshi chuckled. "Not yet? The marks on his neck say otherwise. No need to lie to me."

Nowaki rubbed his face and felt the hotness of his skin. He met one other demon and for certain he gave candid remarks. Demons held no restrictions in speech or their true personality. Although, Hiroki confessed his own personal restrictions for survival. Intimate details and moments of weakness remained behind closed doors. He never expected the feared general to inquire about personal details.

"Such shyness." Soshi tapped the corner of his lips with his pointer finger. "Then again, most angels don't talk or engage in such activities. Fuyumi retold the list of laws during her time with me. The secret trysts where higher ranking officals take advantage of the innocent angels below their status."

Nowaki's eyes widened. He heard rumors about this subject during his training years. His mentors warned him about staying for long periods of time with any of the higher rank officials. Awful things happened to those who remained alone with someone. 

"Which ranks?"

"The guards are notorious for such acts." Soshi shook his head. "The lack of battles have those angels pent up in the worst areas."

Nowaki's stomach dropped. "T-The guards?" As he thought back on the times he visited the barracks, the guards eyed him longer than the usual glance. The lustful stares Hiroki gave him after a kiss, those men showed in their eyes. Good thing he rejected the offer. "I didn't know they did such things."

"I'll cease such commentary. You're almost imploding from the redness of your face." Soshi maneuvered around him and stared up at the blooming pink petals which fell onto him. "I see her spells continue on bearing fruit onto this tree. Hmm..." He felt the aura spiking, a wave of sweet apples reached his nose.

Nowaki asked in curiosity. "She was the one who cast a charm onto this tree?"

"She loved the springtime. She never enjoyed the harshness of winter or the overbearing heat of the summer." Soshi lifted up his palm and petals collected in the middle. "She was weaker than the high ranking angels but discovered a barrier making ability." He curled his fingers over the petals. "More than anything, she hated fighting."

Nowaki hurried to Soshi's side, his initial hesitation washed away at the sight of his peaceful face. "Hiro-san never told me anything."

"He doesn't know that fact about her." Soshi touched the bark of the tree, a ghost of a smile formed on his face. "This is where I met my wife. I almost went into battle with her over this spot. Thinking back, I was hot heated and foolish, running into fights without any thought."

* * *

_Since he first discovered this lake, he stamped this area as his own. He added certain traps in the outskirts to alert him of any intruders. He admitted that any spaces on Earth remained open to the public. Their own kind stayed invisible to the ignorant eyes of humans where they stepped on forbidden territories. He avoided humans and angels on purpose. No use bringing in trouble when he wanted to de-stress from his life back home._

_His eyes narrowed when he spotted a woman standing near the cherry blossom tree. Her long flowing white dress clung to her curves. Her curly brown hair reached down to her waist. Distracting him for mere moments before his initial irritation returned full force. He trudged on forward, his scathing words on the tip of his tongue._

_At the sight of the halo, he hurried his footsteps. He cared very little about his footsteps crunching the grass underneath his feet. The faster he disposed of this angel, the faster he slept underneath that tree. He wanted her to disappear from his sight._

_"This is_ my _spot." Soshi stated as his hand hovered over his sword. "I would suggest moving before I have to use other measures. I'll give you ten seconds to comply."_

_Her hand stayed on the bark of the tree. Turning around, she caught eyes with the armored demon. A smile formed on her lips. No taunting came from her action. It appeared sincere. His shoulders tensed and he gritted his teeth. In his mind, she mocked him. She showed the front of her body, no weapons in his sight. He unsheathed his sword regardless._

_No use leaving himself unguarded in front of an angel. This one might have purification abilities with a wave of a hand. He saw old acquaintances reduced to nothing through a fight with an angel. The lucky ones kept a small percentage of their powers, making them useless. He wanted to escape such a fate._

_"You don't have to strike me down." She maneuvered her dress around before she sat down on the grass. "It makes you look weak. I'm sure even demons have an honor code when it comes to a fair fight. Celebrating a victory through those means doesn't amount to much."_

_Soshi sheathed his sword but observed her for any inkling of a weapon materializing in front of her. "I don't waste my time on weaklings. Why are you still here? Scram."_

_She stared up at him and smiled. "You look tired." At her comment, Soshi patted the area underneath his eyes. "So, you use this space to fall asleep and I'm intruding on your time. My apologies."  
_

_Soshi told her. "Leave my space."_

_Fuyumi stood up, smirking at him, she told him. "You won't stay here forever. I will come back on another occasion." She released her wings and went on a full sprint before she flew in the sky._

_Soshi glared at her retreating form. "Don't come back."_

* * *

_"You're here. Again."_

_Fuyumi smiled. "Yes. I loved this area so much that I wanted to return. I enjoyed the berries from around the river. Who knew human food was delicious." She lifted up her hand which held the berries. "While you're here, you might as well try some. I can eat one to prove it's not poisonous."_

_"I warned you not to come back here." Soshi unsheathed his sword and bolted toward her direction._

_Fuyumi's smile dropped. "You need to learn to listen before running into things." She threw the berries at him, caused him to flinch, this gave her a second to wave her hand in front of her body._

_Soshi slammed down his sword. To his surprise, his sword made no contact to the angel. His sword remained a good distance from her and the shine of the barrier presented itself. She stood firm and gave him a non amused face._

_He muttered, "You're not as weak as I expected."_

_"Impressed?" Fuyumi jumped back and the barrier dissipated into thin air. "You're foolish to attack a defenseless being. I have no weapon on my person. You might have killed me but...you wouldn't relish in such an easy victory. I assumed you had honor. I heard high ranking demons love a fair fight."_

_"Every being has some form of power to use for defensive purposes. I gave you the benefit of the doubt in thinking you had something going for you. For your information, this is not even a small fraction of my power."_ _He observed her hands and felt no energy flowing from them. "No purification powers?" He sheathed his sword._

_"More than enough to hurt you substantially." Fuyumi sighed. "Not that I'm going to hurt you. I have no experience in such a thing."_

_"Experience in what?"_

_"Fighting." Fuyumi admitted with a slight blush. "I'm just a recorder."_

_Soshi scoffed, "Bullshit. No mere recorder can produce such barriers without any effort."_

_Fuyumi giggled as she took a few steps back and observed the demon in front of her. "I've hidden in plain sight. I don't want them to transfer me into hurting anyone else. I find no thrill in engaging in battle." She bowed. "Let me introduce myself, I'm Fuyumi."_

_Soshi saw no threat coming from her as he tipped his head down. "Soshi Kamijou. You have no last name?"_

_"Ah-I'm Fuyumi Kanno." She added in. "Angels don't normally give out their last names during introductions. It's a pleasure." She peeked at his sword. "Can we shake hands on a cease? I don't want to fight you."_

_"Wouldn't your superiors reprimand you over letting a demon out of your sight?" Soshi inquired as he checked their surroundings for any pure auras._

_Fuyumi shook her head. "I've come to find that their attention drifts onto other beings. A simple weak recorder like myself won't gain any attention." She reached out her hand and Soshi moved away. "My hands won't purify you on contact."_

_"I'll take my chances." Soshi watched her adjust her dress. He grew curious about her little escapades away from her paradise. "Why are you down here?"_

_"Um I should say this is like...a brief vacation?" Fuyumi answered. "It's tiring having to hear the same things over and over again. It's a bore. I thought about abandoning everything but it's hard to hide in between humans without a guardian angel following after me."_

_Soshi cocked his head to the side. "You'd risk an attack from a demon?"_

_"The thought didn't cross my mind."_

_"You're ignorant and naive. Other demons won't give the courtesy in hearing your words."_

_Fuyumi teased him. "You stopped attacking me."_

_Soshi diverted their conversation onto another topic as he told her. "You wanted a conversation from me. Sit."_

_Fuyumi's face brightened as she got comfortable on the grass._

* * *

_Soshi found himself wandering back onto Earth. His lust for battle lessened and he craved the peace the lake provided. It calmed down his soul, clearing his mind to the beauty of the Earth. He ended up traveling during his constant free time and seeing more of the world. The wonders and sights caught his attention. No wonder he heard pleasing stories from the more adventurous demons. Those who had no fear in describing their trips._

_The meetings between him and Fuyumi transcended into an intimate nature. His shock wore off after he continued on spending more time with her. He hid his emotions until she confessed, From her nervous posture, she expected him to break things off between the both of them. He kissed her in response and she melted in his arms._

_They built a cabin near the cherry blossom tree. Lightly furnished but held a bed for them to sleep on. He suggested the idea just to house their personal items away from their respective worlds. They charmed trunks which held numerous clothes and smaller weapons._

_Fuyumi developed a barrier which drained little of her energy to maintain in front of others. It surrounded the lake and the plants in the interior lived longer. They didn't die underneath the barrier. Their favorite tree bloomed all year long, dropping petals onto them and sticking to their clothing._

_One day, Fuyumi flew through the barrier and almost tripped on her feet when she landed. Her hair tangled around her as she collected herself. She hooked her sleeve over her shoulder and hurried over toward him. He saw a huge smile on her face, pure joy shined through and he smiled along with her._

_"What's gotten you so excited?" Soshi kissed her in greeting. "You're almost floating on your feet."_

_"I'm pregnant." Fuyumi announced as she bounced on her feet._

_"You're...carrying a child?"_

_Fuyumi continued on her excitement. "Yes! I figured it out before someone noticed the extra energy. There's a barrier surrounding my abdomen for now." She rubbed her belly with a wistful smile. "Is this what human mother's experience when they learn they are expecting?"_

_Soshi trembling hands rested on her waist. "I think so. Although...some end up crying from the joy. Are you happy?"_

_"Of course! I heard of angels getting pregnant before but they all favor the hatching from an egg method. Less of a pain on the body." She moved his hands onto her belly. "I wonder what this baby's appearance will favor. Yours or mine?"_

_"You're more visually pleasing." Soshi pulled her to his chest. "Can you let down the barrier?"_ _Fuyumi concentrated on her middle and an array of smells reached Soshi's nose. "Yes...you're really expecting..." He embraced her and pushed away his paranoia of a disturbance in their world._

* * *

_Soshi felt Fuyumi entering the barrier. His smile dropped at the sight of her disheveled form. Her blood stained dress clung to her body as she stumbled toward him. Her face presented her exhaustion. The blood came from the wounds and small cuts covering her body. He noticed the missing belly bump and a blanketed bundle in her arms. She gave birth without him at her side._

_Breaking from his stupor, he ran to her side and gazed down at the baby in her arms. The baby opened his amber eyes and stared up at him._ _The appearance differentiated from what he imagined. He thought of a hybrid which either accentuated the best features or showed a grotesque combination. Their child remained calm and collected. Knowing nothing of their current dilemma._

_"What happened?" He asked as he rushed her toward their small cabin but she didn't enter. She stood firm on her spot, her body trembled. "Fuyumi? Come, we need to get you into some fresh clothes. I'm sure we have something in your trunk. I'll take the baby while you-"_

_"I need to leave now."_ _Fuyumi handed the baby into his arms. "I can't stay here for long. They told me they would kill you and our son. I can't take the risk of them finding this lake."_

_"Who threatened you?" Soshi cradled their son in his arms, his anger built up inside of him but he kept himself under control. "Tell me who they are and I will kill them myself. I will slaughter them."_

_"I named him Hiroki." Fuyumi checked the surrounding area, her trembling fingers toyed with her necklace. "The name you wanted for a son."_

_"Fuyumi tell me what is going on."_

_"The angels found me while I birthed Hiroki. I couldn't hold up the barrier through the pain and I flew down onto Earth." Fuyumi told him. "I managed to divert their attention when I ran past a colony of pixies."_

_"Tell me where they are and I will-"_

_"Do what? Die? Soshi, I want you to raise Hiroki._ _" Fuyumi caressed Hiroki's face, tears trickled down her face. "Go back home and raise him."_

_"He needs his mother. I can't do this on my own!" Soshi held Hiroki in one arm while he reached out to her but she backed away. "Fuyumi...I might end up killing him. I can barely manage to control my own strength. You have to stay here with me. Don't leave."_

_Fuyumi's smile strained. "Soshi, they won't give up searching for me. Through giving myself up, I'll give Hiroki a chance to grow up. My presence will have us constantly running away from them. We won't have any peace with this target on our backs."_

_"Hell is no place for a child." Soshi told her. "How is he supposed to fit in? No one gives pity to children. He'll die before he has a chance to experience life."_

_Fuyumi motioned to her neck. "The black ring on his neck will protect him. It's an illusion to project another image than his real appearance. Trust me, no one will know the difference. You have to feed the charm with your own energy when it's running out. Place your fingers on his neck and concentrate. Otherwise, he will expose his true face."_

_"This is not..." Soshi stared down at the chubby baby with horns protruding from the top of his head. "His powers? Will they exude the dark powers I have? When did you have the time to do this?"_

_"No, I did this before reaching the lake. I'm so drained..." Fuyumi placed her hand to he forehead as a wave of dizziness came onto her. "Dearest...think of what is best for Hiroki. You have to run for the gates before the angels get toward this area. Go. Now."_

_Soshi pulled her close and she connected their lips. "I'll leave."_

_"Thank you." Fuyumi broke a piece of the jewel hanging around her neck. "Keep the rest, I'll tie this chunk somewhere on my body." She took off her necklace and handed the largest piece to him. "You told me this connected us both, correct?" Soshi nodded his head in confirmation. "You can track me so you don't risk searching for me."_

_Soshi gritted his teeth. "I'm sorry..."_

_"For what? This brief time of happiness?" She caressed his scarred cheek. "You brought me more excitement in these centuries than I ever wanted. More than I ever expected."_

_Soshi leaned into her palm and swore to her. "One day, we will all be together again."_

* * *

Nowaki wiped the remnants of tears with the back of his hand. "I understand why you're so protective of Hiro-san. Are you...here to warn me that your story might become our fate? I'm guessing we won't attain any happiness due to these differences between us. To imagine a life without him, I can't fathom it."

Soshi removed his hand from the tree. "Before you assume on my feelings toward my son, he provided a new reason for the both of us to fight. This child guided me through centuries upon centuries without my wife." Soshi said. "Falling in love strengthens and weakens a person, thus turning into a double edged sword. We fell in the illusion of ignorance, thinking they wouldn't notice us. There are eyes _everywhere._ "

"But this lake...no one has noticed I've left when I'm done with the villages. It does provide a good illusion from anyone who thinks there is something to hide. It seems only neutral parties can pass through the barrier. No one figured out my relationship with Hiro-san, well...except for one angel. He found out about us a while ago."

"One?" Soshi tensed. "Do I have anything to worry about? I can always scout out this angel and _sort_ him out."

Nowaki sensed Soshi's dark energy rise and he further explained. "He caught me when I brought watermelons to the lake. I managed to get him to promise to keep his mouth shut. So far, no one has asked me anything about this issue. He was more afraid that Hiro-san hypnotized me to obey his commands."

"Nonsense. Hiroki has no such abilities. For most of his life, I trained him, so I know the extent of what he can do." Soshi informed Nowaki. "Besides, demons take over the bodies of the living. It takes a lot more psychological tactics and strength to control someone."

"Are you able to do it? I've heard of your countless battles and strength. I'm sure you've developed something similar."

"No." Soshi rolled his eyes at the sight of his son scratching his stomach. "He's lucky you are around to guard him. I would never let my guard down in such a fashion."

"I'm sure you did drop your guards around your wife." Nowaki smiled as he stared at Hiroki's sleeping face. "He gets so tired whenever he returns from home. The first time he slept he almost smacked my face."

"I can admit it." Soshi muttered. "She softened me."

"What do you think happened with your wife? I've seen some trials in Heaven. They don't...end well. The highest punishment for betrayal is striping an angel of their powers and leaving them to wander on Earth. Although, I heard rumors of even worse punishments..."

Soshi fiddled with the string around his neck. "She's alive."

"How do you know?"

"These mating jewels are not just for decoration." He took out a necklace which wrapped around a jagged piece. "They lock into the energy of the intended mate and give you all the information you need. Despite her pleas not to do it, I tried searching for her when Hiroki reached maturity. Something is blocking her location from me."

"Oh! Hiro-san wears his mother's necklace underneath his shirt. Are you sure you're not connecting to his own energy?"

"Positive. Fuyumi wrapped a small piece in her hair before she turned herself in. Besides, I can _differentiate_ between my son and my wife. I'm no amateur." Soshi watched Nowaki sheepishly hunch his shoulders. "If I were Hiroki, I would had given you a mating stone ages ago."

"Why?"

"Your good fortune will run out soon. Be careful."

* * *

Hiroki let out a groan as he moved onto his side. Picking up the smell of the grass, he resigned not moving from his spot. Although, his source of warmth escaped from his side. This bothered him. He rubbed his eyes before opening them to the bright sun hitting him in the face. Sitting up, he looked around in search of Nowaki. The angel never strayed away from him for long.

He woke up quick when he saw his father's looming form. Recognizing the gleaming black armor, he got up on his feet. Nowaki seemed unafraid of the dangerous demon in front of him. Sure, he gave him an explanation of his father but not the extent of his powers.

Hiroki ran over to them as he exclaimed. "Father!"

Soshi patted Nowaki on the shoulder. "That's my cue to leave you two. I'll deal with his badgering when he returns home. Take my words into consideration. Thank you for listening to my words."

"Yes, sir." Nowaki tipped his head down and smiled. "Thank you for giving me a proper explanation. Does Hiro-san know about this?"

"On a more detailed scale, you got a smaller interpretation." Soshi told him as he tried hard not to laugh at Hiroki's scandalous face. "Keep an extra eye when you leave this lake."

"Will do."

"Father, what are you doing here?!" Hiroki ran to his side and ignored Nowaki when he passed him. "Did you _threaten_ him?"

Soshi hid his smile from Hiroki. "Not at all. I told him some choice words which he needed to hear. Enjoy these moments with him." He continued on his path, hearing Hiroki yell after him.

Nowaki slipped his arms around Hiroki and held him close. "He didn't threaten me. Trust me, he made me feel sort of comfortable."

"Then, what is he doing here?"

"He told me the story about your mother."

TBC


End file.
